Puppet
by sweetysmart0505
Summary: The boys stumble across someone more powerful than they expect. So what will Dean do when Sam disappears without a trace? Maybe Bobby can help. Lots of Hurt!Sam and Hurt!Dean
1. Unusual Events

**A/N:** Anything in Italics is just that person's thought, it's the past, or it is a noise made. Anything like that is supposed to be like that.**  
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**Puppet  
Chapter 1: Unusual Events**

**Earlier**

_It's dark outside; nighttime. There is a man shrouded in shadow; he walks into a house that is not his own. He walks upstairs and into a bedroom where a man and a woman are sleeping. Out of his back pocket he pulls out a large knife. He takes a step forward and we see his eyes. His eyes look normal but with a look of pure evil. Stepping forward more we see he wears a suit that a businessman would wear to work. His face has light stubble and his hair is dark brown. He takes the last step towards the bed and he lifts the knife. It glitters in the moonlight. He lifts it up above his head and plunges it into the heart of a young woman. She hardly wakes up. The clock beside the couple's bed reads, 9:40pm._

**Present**

Sam and Dean are in the car listening to some of Dean's music. It is a sunny day, and Dean is singing along in a loud, out-of-tune voice. He seems oddly happy. I guess it was because Sam and Dean had just got off a case. A simple poltergeist. They killed the poltergeist, Dean saved Sam's butt ...again, and Dean got a "date" with a really hot chick. Yes, he was happy. Sam's annoyed at Dean's happiness seeing as he is always the one getting hurt, and Dean takes pleasure in him getting hurt. Well he seems to but deep down he knows that Dean would never let anything serious happen to him and he always felt guilty when it did. But still Sam was annoyed.

Sam gives Dean a look. _This cannot be my brother. Man, I so wish I was somewhere else right now. _

Then, out of the ditch jumps a man in a black suit. Sam, even through his fear, sees this man is covered in blood but seems to move across the road with great speed. Dean swerves and misses him.

Dean yells. "What The Fuck!! Where the hell did he come from?"

"I don't know!!"

They look behind them, but the man has disappeared. They are both in shock. Dean gets out. "That skid better not have ruined the tires!!" He inspects the car from all angles.

Sam gets out aswell and wanders off to look for the guy. He sees a couple drops of blood in the middle of the road, roughly where they saw the man. There is a little amount and Sam doesn't know what to make of it. He then looks to his right and sees a couple broken branches broken apparently where the man went through. To his left there are more broken branches and a blood smear on a tree. "Is it ok?"

"_She_, Sammy, _she _and I think _she _is fine. You find anything?"

"Yea there are a couple drops of blood and a few broken branches but otherwise no sign of the man." _There is not enough blood to be anything really important._

"Well if there was blood it means it was a real person." _Damn. I really don't want another hunt so soon._

"Yea but we don't know who." _I wonder who he was. Something about him doesn't feel right._

"So no sign then?"

"I said No." _Man, he can be so deaf sometimes._

"OK, OK chill Sammy. Well we won't find anything else here. Let's get going." _God he can be testy. Man I feel like we should get out of here. I have a bad feeling._

"Where's the next stop?"

"Beryl, Utah. Small town. Besides I need to fill up on gas." _Great. Another hick town. I was hoping to fill up and leave._ They get into the undamaged car. Dean turns down the music. He is really not in the mood to listen to it. They wait for one truck to pass and got back on the road.

They get to the gas station. Trusting Sam to fill up on gas, Dean goes in and gives the description of the man to the clerk, though he doesn't remember much except him almost ruining the car.

"Yea that sounds a lot like a man who comes in once in a while. Jake Hudson. A nice friendly guy." _He's a nice guy. What could he have done? _Dean also purchases a bag of chips for breakfast.

They get into the county police department files room, posing as FBI, without much question from anyone in there, to find out exactly where he lives, because the clerk didn't really know. This town didn't seem to be much into order, for nothing is alphabetized or in any other type of organization. They each grab a box and start to look.

During their search, an old female officer stepped into the file room, giving them each a cup of coffee. Dean looks up, hoping for a nice hot thing, but standing there was an older woman with a unkind face and quite a large body. She set the coffees down, gave both of them a scowl, then left. Dean just gave a huge sigh and went back to a young woman's file. Sam looked Dean and just shook his head.

After about 3 hours of searching, Dean starts getting angry. He takes the last gulp of bad cold police coffee and groans. "This had better be some kinda lead. If we are doing this for nothing and Jake is just some lonely drunk playing a few pranks, I'm not going to be happy." He crushed the styrofoam cup in his hand and threw it against the file room door.

Sam then jumps. "I found him"

"Finally" _God I really don't like this town already._

"You have no patience do you?" _He just doesn't learn._

"NO. Now where is he?!?!"_ God I need a beer and a hot chick after all this searching._ "What did you find?"

"Well, his record is clean. He hasn't done anything wrong except when he was 16 he stole a pack of gum. There's no record of anything abnormal in his past. Nothing."

"Well, I say we go see if he is home. You said you saw blood on the guy? Well let's go see if he's killed anyone lately." The styrofoam cup is pushed on the floor as Dean quickly opens up the door.

Sam and Dean drive up to where the Jake lives but are stopped by police tape. Inside the tape is a one story white house. About 4 cop cars were there, also. Dean parks the car on the side of the road. He's thinking. _Maybe there is something here worth looking at. Or maybe my drunken pranker theory is sounding good. _They get out of the car to talk to a woman who was watching from the sidelines. "So what's going on here?"

_I can't believe he would do this._ "The cops are here checking out Jake's house for why he did it. The tape's here to keep people from contaminating anything if evidence is needed. It is so distressing. Jake was found on the side of the road a few minutes ago and was arrested for killing Laurie Pyre."

_Where have I heard that name before. Maybe nowhere._ "So how did you know the victim?" Sam is thinking in his mind if that maybe he had seen that name is Dad's journal. Dean wonders off leaving Sam to talk to this woman.

"In a place like this, everybody pretty much knows everybody. I knew Jake too. He was a nice man. I would sometimes see him out in his yard, just puttering, you know, doing yard work, and walking the dog, stuff like that. He didn't have a wife. He lived alone with his dog and his garden. I didn't know Laurie as well. She was someone I would once in a while see in the park with her husband, Chris. They seemed like a nice enough couple to me. Didn't do anything to deserve this."

"Well, thank-you" _This really doesn't make any sense. Maybe Dean will have more._

Dean had been over talking to some police about the situation and if they knew what had really happened. "So you guys have nothing then?"

"Dean!! I think we have everything we need. Thank-you officers." _You idiot_. They walk away. "Why do you always do that? They're cops. You are going to get us arrested some day."

Dean kicks a stone as a turns. "I've said it once I'll say it again, they don't really know what is going on here. We are all alone on this, AGAIN. Didn't I tell you that once before?" _Wow serious Deja Vu._

"OK, OK, What did you find out?"

"Well……...there are no hot officers in this hick town. I mean it's amazing. You'd think there……"

"Dean!! The Case!? Remember??"

They walk towards the car for a little more privacy. "Right. Well Jake was found with blood all over him, none of it his. And when he was found he was……well they said they don't know what it is. He was found lying completely still with eyes wide open. He's not responding to anything people say. It's like he's unconscious but not quite. And the victim, Laurie, was found with one stab wound to the heart. Her husband was left alive. He didn't even realize his wife was dead until a couple hours later when he woke up to the smell of dead body. He called the cops. But otherwise nothing out of the ordinary."

"So, where's the hospital?" _What kind of creature could do that to someone's body. If it is even a creature._

"You mean you still think something is wrong?" _God I want to leave._

"I just have a feeling." _And it feels like something bad is going on here. Just don't know what._

"Oh. One of your famous Sam Winchester feelings. Fine we'll go but if we don't find anything then we're leaving." _God I really want to leave. But I have a bad feeling too. Maybe its because I'm still hungry._

On the way to the Beryl Hospital, Sam is looking in John's journal for anything. Upon reaching the hospital Sam finds what he is looking for. He knew he had heard the name "Pyre" before. He reads through it once, and flips through more pages for more explanation. "Here it is."

Dean looks at him with a confused and questioning look. "Here's what?"

Sam has a look of concern. He doesn't even look at Dean. "David Pyre. Laurie Pyre's father-in-law. Her husband, Chris Pyre's dad."

Still confused. "Yea?"

"David Pyre was the 12th and last victim of a possessor demon. Dad went after the thing but as he tells it, he was ready for it, waiting where he thought the demon wound be, but it didn't show that night and he never found any trace of it again. It seemed to have fled. Then dad wrote that he found something even worse, though it doesn't say what, and he just left in the middle of that hunt." _What's going on?_ "David died only 2 weeks ago. I knew I had heard the name before."

Dean parks the car in an empty spot quite near the hospital. He puts the car in park and turns it off. "Yea??" _I guess I see what he is saying. And god what a nerd for even remembering that was in there. I remember reading something like that but didn't even think of it for this situation._

He gives Dean an annoyed look. "Well, maybe the thing is back and worse then before, and that's what's going on here. I mean I don't know why it wouldn't just go into Chris if it wanted to kill Laurie but it could be a demon." _I do agree that it is a stretch, but it's the only theory I've got. I mean it's not that far off, it could be._

"That seems like our best bet right now. But how could the demon do something like that to Jake Hudson's body? And like you said why would it not just possess Chris? Unless it was after them both. Kill one, get the other in trouble, except that Jake was then found with Laurie's blood. If that was intentional... I don't know?" _If dad went after it why is it still alive? Why would it just disappear? And why would dad just leave it, bail on a hunt?_

"I don't know... But, it's possible right?"

Dean just sighs. "Hmmm." He perks up a little. _Maybe it's..._

"What, Dean?" _He's got that look on his face. Is he thinking what I think he's thinking?_

_What if it is and we finally found it._

_I knew it, Dean. I guess it could be but why would he show up now. Why would he make himself so obvious. But maybe..._ "Dean, I don't think it is. I don't think it's the Yellow Eyed Demon."

Dean remains silent. He wants it to be the demon so badly but he knows Sam was right. He can also feel it. _How could it be the demon? It's not his MO._

_Knock, knock._ Sam was about to say something when they heard that knocking on Sam's side of the car. Instinctively, Sam quickly closes up the journal and hides it. Dean and Sam both see who's knocking. It's a young man, dressed in casual clothes, standing with quite a kind face. Sam unrolls his window a little for him to speak, and the man bends down.

"Hi. I noticed you guys were just siting there and I was...well not to sound rude but I was wondering if you were done with the parking spot. I need a place to park. I'm just here for a check-up. If it wouldn't be too much trouble..." He has a nervous look on his face and is shifting from foot to foot.

Sam has a sad look on his face. "Well actually we...umm..."

Then from Dean's side, a bright red car pulls out of there leaving a free spot open.

The man smiles. "Well what luck. Now I don't feel so bad. Sorry for disturbing you guys."

"OK," was all Sam could get out before the man walked away. He seemed like a nice man. They were both confused by this man though, Dean more than Sam, but still both confused. But that happening ended their awkward conversation. Dean was kind of glad but knew he would still have to face it later. Out of the glove box Dean pulls out two CDC IDs. Showing Sam, he smiles and signals for them to go.

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**A/N2:** Beryl, Utah is an actually town I picked off the map, though any of the places mentioned like the hospital and gas station are fictitious.  
**A/N3:** This is my first Chapter to my first Supernatural story so don't be too harsh but critisizm is totally excepted and appreciated. I would like to be able to improve my writing. So please read and review. 


	2. A New Lead

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Puppet  
Chapter 2: A New Lead

Dean and Sam are slowly walking down an empty hallway after walking through the hospital door. The only person who seems to be in this hospital is the young lady at the circulation desk, sitting quietly typing on her computer.

Dean lowers his voice. "So, if it is a demon, who would it be possessing right now?"

"Well, it would probably be the closest person it could get to. Chris maybe, or a cop when they found him on the side of the road, or it could be anyone in this hospital, if it waited that long."

Dean just grunts at the thought. "So I guess we can say it could be in anyone in this hick town then." _That's a comforting thought._

"Yea." _There has got be a way to narrow down the search._ Sam stops a couple feet from the circulation desk, just out of hearing range of the young woman so as not to be over heard. He turns to face Dean. "Well, that one guy who asked for the parking spot appeared a little too cheerful. He could be keeping an eye on us."

Dean frowns. "But how would the demon even know we were here? We haven't exactly been here long or found anything yet. So, why would it even be suspicious of us?"

"You're right. Also, we don't even know that it is a demon. I mean I have never known a demon that could make a body go into a half conscious state. We do know that a demon is here, though."

"Yea... Atleast there is something we can kill. I wish we could get into Laurie Pyre's house, though. Or even into Jake's house. But for some reason, maybe because it's a small town and the cops have nothing better to do..."

Sam frowns at him.

Dean keeps going. "They are keeping everything tight locked, and we wouldn't be in the houses a couple minutes before we were caught. We'll have to wait until the cover of dark if we want to have a good chance. All we can do is find out what is happening with Jake Hudson."

Sam nods his head in agreement. "We don't have long to wait, though. It is almost dark out."

"Yea. So let's hurry up in here and leave."

Then from behind Sam, the young woman stands up. "Can I help you two gentlemen?"

Sam turns and he and Dean look at her for a second.

She walks out from behind her desk. Dean sees that she is a thin, medium height, drop dead gorgeous woman. She speaks. "You two have been standing there for a few minutes, and I was just wondering if there was anything you guys need before I get off my shift." She smiles.

Dean puts on his best smile and struts to her. She is just standing in front of her desk, jacket over her arm. Dean puts a hand on the edge of the desk and leans in. "Well, I think you can help us." He signals with his other hand that he wants Sam to vacate. Sam shakes his head and goes to talk to two doctors that had emerged from a room a little ways down the hall to their right. Dean continues. "We're from the Center for Disease Control, and we are here to help out with Jake Hudson's case. What can you tell us about it?"

Down the hall Sam is talking to some doctors. Though, they aren't really any help because they are assigned to a different part of the hospital, and only know the bare-minimum of what's going on. "OK, Well thank-you." The doctors leave. Sam turns and watches Dean as he nods and smiles at the woman. _You're such a loser._ Then the young woman grabs a pad of paper and a pen, from the other side of the counter, and quickly scribbles something down on it. Dean takes the paper, smiles a leaves. Dean struts towards Sam with a triumphant look on his face. The woman walks out the hospital doors, but not before smile towards Dean as he leaves. Sam shakes his head. "What did you get?" _I'm almost afraid to ask._

Dean holds up the paper and on the back is a phone number.

Sam has a frustrated tone. "Anything important, Dean?"

Offended, Dean speaks. "Hey dude, I'm a professional."

Sam raises his eyebrows in a sarcastic surprise. Dean turns the paper over and on the other side is a map to Jake Hudson's room. "It seems that this place is connected to the government offices. It's pretty confusing in here."

Sam smiles a half smile. "Uh huh, so where to, Columbus?"

"Who?"

Sam looks astonished. "Columbus?" Chr..."

"Never mind. I don't even want to know." _Geek_

Sam frowns and nods his head towards the paper still in Dean's hand.

Dean looks at the paper, smiles, and walks forward.

The hospital seemed so empty. Once in a while they would see some patients walking around, a few nurses, concerned family sitting in chairs on the side, and very few doctors. No one seems to care that they were there. This gives them a great opportunity to talk. "So what else did..." Sam looks at Dean.

Dean smiles. "Chelsea."

"Yea... so what else did... Chelsea... tell you?"

"She..."

"Uh, stuff about the case." He then speaks in a very quiet tone. "I don't want to hear anything else, thanks."

Dean rolls his eyes, then sighs. He knows Sam feels guilty whenever he thinks about other girls. He still misses Jessica too much. "OK, well if that's all you want, then I can't tell you much."

Now Sam rolls his eyes.

"She didn't tell me anything that we didn't already know."

"Ok."

The hallway they are walking down starts to get busy. Dean sighs in relief. "I guess we are getting close." _Finally. This place really is colossal._

According the map they have to turn the corner. Around the corner there is an immense group of people. Around the outside of a circle are reporters, cameras, and other news professionals. They are being held off by some cops. On the inside of the circle are some more cops and detectives, talking to some doctors. There is so much noise, Dean and Sam couldn't even hear themselves think. Dean and Sam cautiously walk forward.

They find the thinnest part of the crowd nearest a wall and push their way through, trying to keep out of the eyes of the cameras. They get to the block of cops and one stops them. They could not talk over the noise, so the boys hold up their fake CDC ID's and are let through. The reporters immediately take notice of this and ask even more questions and make even more noise. Sam and Dean show their ID's to the doctors and are led into the patient's room to talk and investigate. The door is closed behind them.

"I'm glad you guys are here. Though... I called a couple hours ago and they said they couldn't send anyone for a couple days atleast. So why...?"

Dean thinks of only a second before giving a hasty response. "We just got off a case and were asked to come here. It seemed like it could be something interesting, so we rushed over here."

Sam walks over to the patient, Jake Hudson. He is really shocked at what he sees. Jake's face is completely pale and his eyes are wide open, just looking at the roof. Sam touches his skin. It feels ice cold. On Jake's wrist is a pair of handcuffs, just in case. "So what is going on with him?"

The doctors then tell Sam and Dean the same thing they had heard a couple times now. "But these symptoms are relatively normal, but then we found something on the underside of his wrist." One doctor walks over to Jake and picks up the uncuffed, right hand. On the underside of the wrist is a red symbol that looks like it was cut into the skin. "We don't know what it is, but the weirdest part is that it feels burning hot to the touch. We can't touch it. We have never ever seen, or even heard, of anything like this."

Dean walks over to take a look at the symbol. He touches it and quickly recoils his hand. "Can we just spend a little bit of time giving him a once over?" _What the..._

"Of course. I'll be outside avoiding the media if you need me." He chuckles. "I'll check back in a few minutes." And the two doctors leave the room, shutting the door behind them.

Sam walks over to the other side of the bed, towards the arm with the symbol on it. He touches it and also recoils his hand.

"So, what symbol is this, genius?"

Sam pulls out his phone, and takes a picture of it. "No. Never seen it before."

They look at the rest of the body for any other abnormalities. The symbol seemed to be the only thing seemingly demonic. The way that Jake looked, lying in bed, it gave Dean the shivers. The hair on the back of his neck stood up. He just looked so cold and lifeless. Dean took out the EMF reader that he had been keeping in his pocket just in case. He turned it on and nothing happened. But then he places it near the symbol on Jake's arm, and it goes nuts. Dean looks at Sam and smiles.

Sam sort of knew it was going to happen but it still stunned him seeing as not much of this case made any sense. It just didn't seem like a typical demon, but something demonic put that symbol there. "Huh, so it may be something demonic or spiritual after all but what?"

"I don't know. Hey, it's pretty dark now. What say we find a motel, get settled, and go and check out Laurie and Jake's house."

Sam frowns. "Yea." He looks around the room and turns to the door. Then, out of the corner of his eye, he sees what looks like a movement from Jake. He turns back to Jake and looks at him. _What the..._

Dean is holding onto the door handle, ready to turn it. He turns slightly and sees that Sam is no longer with him. He turns fully around. "What?"

"I thought I saw a movement from Jake." _But it couldn't be._

Dean looks at Sam and glances at Jake. He doesn't see anything. He looks back at Sam who is still staring at Jake. Dean then walks over to Jake who hasn't changed at all. He leans over Jake's still form. Still no movement. He leans in closer. Still nothing. He hovers over his face for a few seconds, looking for any flicker of life. Then Jake's body jumps! He sits up slightly but quickly and grabs Dean by the shoulders tightly. Dean looks frightened. Jake looks even more frightened, like he had seen something unexplainable or done something unforgivable. He tightens his grip on Dean before saying, "Beware the puppets!!"

Dean is still too stunned to talk, even after Jake lets him go. Jake then falls back to the bed, releasing his deathly grip. Sam had been at a stand still the whole time it had been happening. Now he made a swift move forward towards Jake. Jake then begins to seize, his body convulsing, gasping for air. He was dying, and the worst part was he seemed to be suffering so much. All his monitors are going off, blaring loudly. At that time, doctors and nurses flood the room. But it matters not, for at that moment Jake flatlines. On his face is a look of death and peace. He knew he had done something wrong, and now he could rest. Sam backs up, Dean is pushed away. The doctors are trying fervently to revive Jake, but it cannot be done.

Behind the boys, who had gotten together by the door, there were 4 or 5 nurses keeping the wanting reporters out. Sam nudges Dean for them to leave. They exit the room, avoiding reporters who seem more interested in the apparent death than of them. Dean walks slowly with a look of guilt on his face. They make it a little ways, then from down the hallway behind them they hear the doctors announce Jake's time of death, 7:40pm.

Dean and Sam don't talk as they make their way down the hallway. They can still hear all the commotion and excitement from down the hall. Dean is still in shock and has the look on his face as if it is his entire fault. Sam was left wondering what Jake meant by "Beware the puppets." They had never heard anything about puppets coming alive, especially not killing anyone, or controlling them.

Sam and Dean don't even talk in the car. Its not until they had gotten a motel room, got settled, and were comfortable that a word is spoken.

Dean was sitting on the bed cleaning some of the guns and knives to calm his still racing nerves and to pass the time. Sam had been going back and forth through the journal, looking for anything on killer... puppets. He had found something but very little but didn't want to disturb Dean so he kept quiet until his brother spoke. Neither felt quite in the mood yet to go investigate either of the houses. Then Dean's watch beeps 9:00pm. It had been almost 2 hours since Jake died and Dean speaks. "So..." Sam looks up from the journal. Dean then picks up a gun, cocks it, and looks at Sam. "We gunna do this or not?" Sam tilts his head, smiles, and closes the journal. _You're back._

On the way to Laurie's house, Sam tells Dean what was written in the journal. "Apparently this place doesn't have much for hunting grounds. There was only that demon that Dad went after but it disappeared. That's all that's actually recorded. Oh, but it does say after the list of the demons victims the same line that Jake said, Beware the puppets. Means dad has heard of or met someone who has heard of this thing. I..." He looks over at Dean at that point. Dean had a look as if he is trying to hide a look of sadness or weakness. "Dean, are you ok?" _He's not even listening to me about a case._

"Huh? Yea I'm fine"

"Dean..."

"Look man I'm fine. I mean I don't know. It's just feels..."

"Yea I know." _It's ok Dean. It's ok to feel guilty._

Dean looks at Sam, thanking him silently for not making him say anything more about it.

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**A/N:** Sorry this chapter took me so long. I started writing and every time I wrote something new I had to change something else to make it work and it just got longer and longer and eventually I had to cut in half what I wrote. So sorry this chapter isn't that interesting.  
**A/N2:** It may be short and not as interesting but please read and review. Criticism is accepted. Thanx. 


	3. An Enemy Found

**A/N:** Wow I wrote this chapter really fast. Actually I had this chapter written awhile ago while I was writing chapter 2. Anyway, Please read it.

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**Puppet  
Chapter 3: An Enemy Found**

They come into sight of Jake's house. They wanted to see if it was a demon and if it had been in Jake long enough to leave any sulfuric residue trails at his house. It would give them something to build on. Both Sam and Dean had a bottle of holy water and of course Sam had his book of Latin incantations. He had the demonic exorcism ear-marked. They didn't know what else to prepare for though so, they each brought a shotgun and a 9mm with different types of bullets.

They didn't say a word as they evade security and climb into the house by means of a unlocked window. Once inside they look around. Dean brought out his EMF Detector and Sam cocked a shotgun. There was nothing going off as they walked from room to room. They then hear something rustling coming from the next room. Dean puts the EMF Detector away and grabs his shotgun and made sure his holy water could be easily accessed. They open the door to what seems to be the living room. They heard another scratch as they entered. It seems to be coming from over near the couch. The couch is facing away from the boys, so Dean takes the left and Sam goes right. They each have their guns ready to fire. They make their way around the couch...

They look over the couch as they get closer and they see... nothing. But there is something there for again they hear a sound. This time, though, it sounds more like a snore. Dean still has his gun pointed, then Sam has a thought. He drops his gun to his side and makes for the couch at a quicker pace. Dean is shocked and is left wondering what Sam is doing. But Sam makes it to the couch and starts to chuckle. Dean tilts his head in wonder and advances forward. Dean sees what Sam is laughing at. Jake Hudson's golden retriever was under the couch, sticking its head out from under it. The dog breathes in deep and lets it out as another snore. Dean shakes his head in amazement, but keeps his distance. His heart is beating. Sam steps over the dog as they go to search the rest of the house. But there is nothing, no sign of any sulfuric residue or any other sign that a demon had lived there.

In the car, Sam laughed a little at Dean for being afraid of a dog. Dean counters with a fact that Sam was, too... at first. The battle it out in the car a bit but Dean could soon tell he was beat. He had never liked dogs much, and though a sleeping dog didn't really frighten him it was still nerve-racking for him.

Slowly driving in town, they head now to Laurie's house. This house is even more heavily guarded and it takes the boys longer to break in. They finally plan to make a commotion and while the police are busy they would get through a window. Sam sneaks around to the other side of an officer and throws a rock at his head. Bullseye. Sam quickly picks up another rock and intentionally misses to draw him away from that side of the house. The police officer leaves his post and goes to search for who had thrown the rock at his head, but Sam was quick and very quickly he was around the house and Dean was in the process of unlocking a window to the kitchen. There were many quiet shouts as all the officers were alerted. Sam and Dean hid in many places in the house eluding the cops as they searched through the house to see if anyone was in it, but they eventually left and Sam and Dean could search the house.

They head upstairs to where Laurie was killed. Upon entering the room they see greatly disturbed bloody sheets on the bed and splatters of blood covering the wall. Sam walks in with a disgusted look on his face and Dean follows right behind him with the EMF Detector in hand. He searches in vain, though, for there is nothing to be found. There seems to be no sign of a demon.

Dean's disappointed. _Now that we're here I really want something to hunt._ "Come on, let's go."

"Yea." was all Sam could say as he exits the room in disgust.

They silently walk down the stairs, Dean uses the EMF Detector on the way down just in case but nothing. He sticks the EMF Detector in his coat. They get back to the same kitchen window. Dean slowly lifts it up, making sure to keep quiet, but it only goes about half way before it is violently slammed down. Dean jumps back, just keeping his fingers out of the slamming window. They stare at it for only a second before Dean tries one more time. He tries with all his might, but the darn thing won't budge.

They, then, hear a voice behind them. "What are you doing in my house?"

Sam and Dean whip around, Sam points the shotgun, which is still in his hand, at the darkened figure. The man seems to smile in the shadow. "That gun won't work on me."

The man walks forward into the moonlight, which is shining through the unopened window. Sam has the gun pointed at a tall man with great arm muscles that could be seen through his blue jacket. A strong upper... and lower body. He also wore dark blue jeans. Starting on his neck and going somewhere down his arm is an intricate tattoo. His head was bald with the shortest black stubble on it. He seemed like he could put up an awful fight.

Dean raises his eyebrows at this man and he frowns. "Christo."

The man's eyes go pure black. "You found me. Now what?"

Dean smiles. He whips out the holy water the water that was in his hand behind his back. He puts an X pattern on him and he smokes and screams. "Now, Sam!"

Sam pulls out the exorcism, from his Latin incantations book, and immediately starts to read before the demon can recover from the holy water and get a drop on them.

Dean talks over Sam's chanting and the demon groans of pain. "So why are you here if you didn't do anything."

Through the pain the demon stutters. "How do you... you know I didn't do... anything?"

"No sulfuric residue... also you wouldn't have gotten yourself caught so easily if you had of done it."

Sam keeps on chanting as the demon grins and falls to the ground on his hands and knees. "You're smart... like your daddy... You... you're right, I didn't do it," He looks up. "And I don't know who did," He grins, "But I wish I had done it. Who... would have known you... guys would follow this trail. I... I would have done it myself if I had... of known it would bring... you here."

Dean flusters a little but quickly hides it. "Why did you want us here so bad?" _What did dad do to this thing to piss it off so bad?_

"Sim... simply put... your dad came after me. Now... I want to go after him. I... want revenge. But if... he isn't here, you guys... will do."

Dean scowls at him and keeps a deep frown on his face. He doesn't answer what the demon said. "So you sure you don't know what killed Laurie?"

"I'm... sure."

"See, I know demons lie so I believe you to be lying."

"You... think so... do you...?"

"Yea, I do." _I hope he's lying anyway..._

"Well... then you will... never... see... the truth."

Dean's very confused by this statement. "Huh?" _What's that supposed to mean?_

The demon raises his head higher. Then it starts laughing maniacally before the laughing is engulfed in screaming as the demon is expelled from the host body. It shoots up into the air and hits the roof with a splash like water hitting a wall. And upon hitting the roof it burst into flames quickly before it disappears even quicker. Chris stops screaming and falls the ground, unmoving. They stare at the roof for a second before both move towards Jake's side. Sam flips him over on to his back and in doing so Chris wakes up. He eyes slowly flicker open, and he looks around.

Sam has a worried look on his face. "How do you feel?"

"I feel... I can move! That thing has been inside me for a few hours and I couldn't control my movements. It was awful. I..."

Sam is trying to imagine what the guy could have been going through but he couldn't even imagine. "Shh. It's ok. The demon is gone. Are you ok?"_ I don't think he was in Chris long enough to actually hurt him much._

"Yea, I'm fine."

"You're not hurt at all?"

"No. I don't think so"

Dean is a little more stern when he talks. "Was the demon telling the truth?"

"Huh...?"

"About not killing these people? About not knowing what did?"

"Yea it... Oh my god. Laurie..." He tries to get up but Sam pushes him back down. "No... I saw the bloody sheets when I went up there. That was our bed. Laurie... Laurie is dead. No... no... no... I..."

"Yes she is. But you didn't do anything." _It's so hard to comfort him._

But I didn't even wake up when she was killed. Maybe if I had waken up, I could have..."

Sam kept his voice soft for the grieving man. "No you couldn't have done anything. She was stabbed in the heart as I heard it."

"Yea, you couldn't have saved her." Dean was still stern.

Sam gives him a look that is saying how could you be so cold at a time like this. "Dean..."

Dean doesn't look at Sam. He could tell by the way he was staring what he was thinking. "Can you answer the questions?"

"No... No... It didn't kill Laurie. It told me. And it kept saying how it wished it did know what did. But he didn't kill... ... ... I can't believe she is dead."

Dean can tell this man is fine and he is just really really sad and mad about his dead wife, so he sits back a little. Sam continues to hold him up. He also wants to know what is going on here. "What else did it say?" _Maybe if I can keep the guy talking, I can keep him calm. _

"Well he said alot of times that if he had just been quicker he could have got to him this time. Find him. He was envious of his work I think. He wanted to find him. He..."

"This time?" _What? This thing has killed before?_

"Yea, I think the demon said that Laurie is the fourth person killed that way. Fourth... I wish the damn cops would get their heads out of their asses catch all the guys. Laurie would still be alive."

Dean perks up at this comment and chuckles. "Yea, I hear you." _Finally someone agrees with me. See Sam? God..._

"I mean they have no idea what's going on here."

"You two are like two peas in a pod."_ It's like having two Deans in a room. Scary..._

Dean chuckles again. "Anyway, the fourth victim?"

"Yea, they had been saying on the news that there had been a rash of murders quite a while ago but they seemed to have ended, but then recently people had been dying. Four so far, one night after another after another. They all died at night while sleeping mostly. They also find different people killing them. They are all caught, but they all have the same MO which they are saying means they are all in a killing gang or something."

Dean thinks a minute. "How long ago were the first murders?"

"A couple weeks or so."

Sam looks up at Dean. "That's around the time the demon disappeared and Dad left."

Sam thinks about this but it doesn't seem to be really relevant to the murder of Laurie and the others. "Yea, and are all the murderers in jail?" _Maybe we can speak with them._

"I'm not sure. The news was saying that something major was happening with them but they wouldn't tell what was happening because the cops were keeping it in tight locks."

Then Dean hears a noise outside, and realizes that they had been talking for a few minutes after all the screaming had been going on. He also realizes that cops had not flooded the house. By the look on Deans face Sam realizes this aswell. "Something must be going on." _We should have been caught by now._

"Or maybe your distracted worked so well that these dumbasses are still looking for whoever was chucking rocks at their heads." _Hilarious._

Chris chuckles a little and Sam just looks at him. _Would you stop it already?_

They pull Chris to his feet. He wasn't physically hurt so he was able to walk on his own. They get to the window and Dean opens it up enough to get out, and this time it doesn't slam down on Dean's fingers. They sneak out relatively quiet and quickly move to the cover of the trees that separated two properties. They all move quietly towards a cop car where an older cop is talking on his car radio. He then yells. "OK go on in." Dean and Sam looks towards where the cop is yelling and see about 6 cops flooding the house once again.

"Wow good timing." _Good thing you were paying attention, Dean._

"Yea."

Sam then catches onto something that the older cop had said. He had been talking really quiet on his car radio, when he spoke up a little. "Oh no, he was a nice man. So he's dead?... OK And no sign of any killer?... Well if it is this gang, we will find the guy sometime soon, though I hope to catch this one before he goes into shock or whatever they are saying it is... Ok well get that body to the coroner's office, though I'm guessing there isn't going to be anything new. Stabbed in the heart right?... Yea, Ok..." That was all they were able to hear because then the older cops turns around facing the other direction making it impossible to hear anything more. Dean looks at his watch, which reads 9:57. He shows Sam.

They stay a little longer hoping to catch up on anything else they might have missed or hoping to get anymore information on this whacked-out case. Two cops come out of the house and report to the older cop who was still talking on his car radio. "Well...?"

"Nope nothing since last time we checked. There was definitely someone screaming in there though."

"Yea, sorry I didn't send you in earlier but there was that call on the radio and you all needed to hear it."

"Yea. I don't think it was much though, if nothing or no one is in the house now."

"Ok thanks."

"Yes, sir."

Chris shifts. He is getting a cramp. He was not used to stakeouts and just didn't have the muscle to stay still for long periods of time. He was a more active person. Sam notices this uncomfortable movement and nudges Dean. He looks over and making eye contact, he agrees with Sam that they probably won't find out anything more by staying. They sneak across Chris's neighbour's property to get to the road unseen.

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**A/N:** This chapter had alot of action in it. Please tell me what you think of it. Seriously reviews are greatly appreciated, along with criticism. 


	4. 740

**A/N:** Make sure you watch for Italics at the beginning so you don't confuse yourself too too terribly much.

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**Puppet****  
Chapter 4: 740**

Dean had parked the car a couple blocks from Laurie and Chris's house, so Sam, Dean, and Chris sneak through bushes and trees, keeping off any roads or in the view of house windows so as not to be seen. They are all sneaking very silently. Mostly they are each thinking about what just happened.

Dean and Sam were relatively thinking about the same thing. _Well, if it isn't the demon then what is it? I mean I guess we could tell from the signs that it wasn't a demon but this means this evil creature poses a very serious problem. I wish Dad would pick up his damn phone. He might actually be able to help us on this case, by starting with why he left the demon without finishing him off. Also, what exactly is going on here? What is that symbol? I have definitely never seen it before... and the way the bodies are left after... they kill, it's so strange. _Each saying his own thing but about the same thing, Sam and Dean were both thinking about the case and this evil creature. _Or is it even an evil creature? Maybe the drunken pranker theory could be correct... with multiple people?_

Chris was thinking about the case in a different manner. _Who the hell are these people? I mean I tell them that I couldn't control my body and that something like a demon was inside me, but instead of telling me I'm completely nuts and sending me off to a psyche ward, they go on and on about the demon and murderers. Why were they even in my house? Maybe they are the leaders of that killing gang. Should I trust them? They did save me from that demon inside me, I don't know how, but they did. What am I saying, there is no such thing as demons. There's not supposed to be such things like that. Maybe they are the ones who are nuts. Maybe I should just leave. Then again, maybe these nut jobs can help me find the guy that killed Laurie..._ So mostly he was unsure whether to trust these two men that were obviously crazy._ But does that make me crazy for actually feeling like I should believe what they say?_

Not a word was passed until they were safely in the car and driving towards the motel room, far away from Chris's house. Jake sat in the back where is would be more comfortable and where he knew he could get out and away if the two guys in front of him really turned out to be nut jobs. Not much conversation was made right away. Sam and Dean sat in the front and started to whisper back and forth.

"Dean, if it's not a demon then what is it?"

Dean glances at Sam before focusing back on the road. "I don't know. I could tell that that demon was lying when it said that it didn't know what was killing these people, though."

"Yea, but I also don't think Chris was lying..."

Dean cuts him off there. "Yea, after people have been possessed they seem more prevalent to talk." _It's a great strength for us._

"So, the demon didn't tell him."

"Probably not, and that still doesn't tell us what could be doing it all."

Dean thinks for only a second before answering. "Well, how about an Obake or... or a Broxa maybe." _It just doesn't sound right._

"It just doesn't sound right." Sam pulls out the journal.

Dean's thinking, looking at him with a funny look. _God he must be psychic..._

Sam doesn't notice as he flips through pages of the journal. "Yea, see the MOs don't fit with either of those choices. This sorta thing... I just don't think this is going to be a standard hunt." _Just a feeling..._

At that point, Jake steps in. "Ok, who the hell are you people. I mean I hear things like Obake and Broxa and hunts. You guys are nuts. I mean for all I know you guys are part of that killer gang that they are saying it is. What if you are the ones who killed Laurie? I mean I heard he was caught but maybe you were in on it. Or maybe that guy who was caught didn't do it and you did it..."

Sam turns around to face him in the back seat. "Chris, calm down. We didn't kill Laurie, and we aren't crazy. We..."

"You're what? Complete, Absolute nut jobs? Yea, that's what I would call you guys. Like I said, the news said that something major was happening with the murderers but they weren't telling us, so maybe they got away... maybe... maybe you guys killed Laurie."

Dean is looking through the rear view mirror as he talks. "We didn't kill her." _But you won't believe us if we tell you what did._

"Yea? And how can you guarantee that?"

Sam hesitates for only a moment, not finding any reason why he should keep the information from Chris. "Chris, Laurie's murderer is dead."_ He isn't going to react to that well._

Chris is stunned. He doesn't talk for several minutes while he processes this information. "He's what?"

Sam repeats himself. "Dead. He died only a couple hours ago in the hospital." _Chris probably wanted revenge on the guy._

Chris is angry again. "And how can I believe that? Give me one reason to trust you."

Sam sighs. He doesn't really know what to say. "We were there when he died... in the room with him... ... ... There's no reason to trust us."

Dean quickly jumps at that comment. "But you really should. We aren't the bad guys here." _But no one ever believes us..._

"Then, why were you in my house?"

Dean focus's on the road, which lets Sam know he has to answer. "We were investigating Laurie's death." _What else can I say that he will understand?_

"Yea, and are you guys the cops?"

"Well, we..."

"Just tell me who the hell you guys are? Or I'm leaving."

_Well here's another person we get to freak out._ Sam doesn't seem like he would be good at explaining it so Dean speaks. "We are hunters. We hunt the supernatural creatures that are in the dark. We believe... well we believed that you wife was killed by that demon that was inside you." Dean glances at the road before continuing. "But we are pretty sure that it didn't, and now we don't know what did."

Chris is quiet for a few seconds after Dean finishes, then he speaks. "You guys are nuts. A human killed my wife."

Sam intercepts there. "No. It was some kind of creature." _We just don't know what._

"And how would you guys know this?"

Sam hesitates so Dean continues. "There was a symbol on your wife's killer. It has sulfuric residue on it... That's a powdery substance that some evil creatures can leave behind."

At that point, Dean pulls up to the motel they had checked into earlier. He pulls up to the front door of their room. He turns off the car and takes the keys out of the ignition. Chris sees that they are stopping. Dean turns around, intending to finish the conversation, but instead, Chris jumps out of the car, slams the door, and begins to back away.

Both Dean and Sam jump out of the car as well to try and stop him. "Chris wait." _Why don't they ever trust that we want to help them?_

"No, you guys are crazy."

Sam and Dean don't get a chance to say anything else before Chris just turns around and runs away. Sam shouts to Dean as he runs off after Chris. "I'll try to get him. Get the stuff in the room." And he goes around the corner of the building in the general direction of Chris. Dean looks on after he leaves for a few seconds, and then he turns around and grabs the stuff out of the trunk.

Sam, after turning the corner, realizes that he has no idea which way Chris may have gone. _This guy really is athletic. We got lots of training, but this guy is quick._ He runs forward. He turns a few corners. He runs forward more and turns some more corners, but he can't find any sign of the way Chris had gone. They seemed to have chosen quite a big place, many rooms all spread out.

Sam doesn't see any reason to keep searching for him so he turns around, retracing his steps back to the room. He knocks on the door, realizing he doesn't have a key to the room. Dean opens the door and in walks a huffing Sam. He sits on the bed to catch his breath. He's too tired to say anything yet.

Dean pipes up. "I'm guessing by your state and you coming back empty handed you couldn't find him?" _Slow poke._

Sam shakes his head in response.

"Well you weren't gone long enough for me to even unpack the journal and the laptop let alone find anything out yet. Last night I stayed up and searched, it's your turn. I'm beat." _Finally sleep._

Sam shoots him a look before getting up and grabbing the laptop from his bag and starting it up. He looks around some newspapers for the deaths that Chris had mentioned. He finds them, just as Chris had said, four. Also he found that all 4 victims had different murderers. But the weird thing was that they were all emitted to the hospital. "Hey Dean listen to this."

Dean grunts and turns over to face Sam. _Well, I thought I would get some sleep._

Sam reads from a newspaper article. "It says here that 3 people, 2 males and 1 female, well now 2 females, were all killed at home at night. It says that they all died around 10:00pm and all the murderers were found in an unknown condition earlier in the morning. Here's a statement from the wife of a victim: 'The doctors aren't telling anyone what is going on, nor are the cops. Each time someone gets close they hide it with an excuse saying that the victims can't talk right now. They won't tell me what's going on with my husband's killer. I hate it' and so on with stuff like that. It would also seem that Jake is the only known murderer to be dead. I guess with the death happening when it did everyone heard it and they found he died, at 7:40pm."

Dean was only half listening but he comments on something he did hear. "Ok, so we can go and see what is happening with the other murderers. If the cops and doctors are trying to cover it up something big must be happening with them. Where should we start?"

"Well I say we talk to the doctors to find out where the murderers are. I would suggest the jail but it says that all the murders are in the hospital. So..."

Dean cuts him off there. "Ok good job Sherlock, now can I get some sleep please?" He turns over again. Then he turns back to Sam, "And dude, turn of your light..." And flips over.

Sam shakes him head. He flips through a few more articles but he is too tired to really concentrate, so he shuts off the laptop, turns off the light, changes his clothes, and goes to bed.

In the morning they get up and head out early to the hospital. They then remember in the car that the night before they had heard that someone had died again last night. They could really tell that something was going on when they arrived there, too. The receptionist, Chelsea, wasn't at the desk that day so they had to make their own way though the hospital. The walked in the direction on Jake's old room, but before they even got there they encountered some officers standing outside a room.

They approach the officers but before they even get a chance to speak a doctor walks out of a room by the crowd. It's the same doctor as before. He turns to the boys and recognizes them. He walks over. This was the second time they had encountered him, so Dean takes a look at his name tag and sees his name is Dr. Kendall. "I'm glad you guys are here. We have another patient. He is in the same condition as the last one. I was just wondering if you guys have found anything new?"

Dean is taken back by him remembering them. "Umm no not yet. We aren't sure what it is. But we'll tell you what we know when we have something." _Not..._

"Ok. Umm the patient is in the room if you would like to take a look at him."

"Yea thanks. Hey do you guys know if this guy killed anyone like the others?"

"Yes he did. He was found with blood on him but again he is in that same non responding state."

Sam walks forward to the room. Dean finishes with the doctor. "Ok, well, thank you doctor."

Dean walks past the doctor. The doctor turns and watches them enter the room and shut the door. He stares for a few seconds before a cop near by calls him over to talk.

Dean and Sam are in the hospital room staring at a guy who is very much like Jake. Dean stands by the door, making no effort to move any closer to the guy. Sam sees this and walks forward as encouragement. Sam grabs this man's wrist and on the underside is the same mark that they had seen on Jake. Sam looks at Dean who is staring at the mark. He also seems to have calmed down.

Sam checks out the rest of the guy and again he finds nothing. "Well judging by the lack of reporters out there I would say that the news hasn't picked up on this guy."

Dean snaps out of his silence. "Yea that's a good thing." _It was hard to get past them last time._

The boys are in there for a few minutes then the doctor from before walks in. "Well anything new?"

Dean looks up from where he is standing. "No nothing."

Sam looks at the doctor. "Do you know where the other murderers are being held?"

The doctor looks at Sam. "They are all dead."

Dean and Sam both look at the doctor with surprised looks on their faces. Dean speaks first. "All of them?" _Now that's weird._

The doctor sees their surprise and tries to explain. "Yes. All of them have come in here just like this. They come in here after they kill someone and they are all in the same state. It's so weird."

Sam has an odd thought. He doesn't even know why he asks. "And what time did they all die?"

Dean looks at Sam in surprise this time. _Why is that important?_

The doctor's face contorts. "That's another weird thing with all of them. They all died at exactly 7:40pm. Every night." The boys react to this in even more surprise. "It's so weird. We don't even know why they are dying. I mean they are all seemingly healthy, and when they die it's... well it's just like their organs give out. All of them fail in some way. It's... It's very odd."

Dean looks at Sam. Sam looks at Dean. _Now how did you know to ask that question psychic boy?_

Sam is nervous about why he did ask that question mostly though. He doesn't know why he asked it. But now they know the answer to the question and they have to investigate it. "Ok. Well are all the victims in the county morgue?"

"Yes. Why? Would you like to see them?"

"Yes." _I think it would help._

"Why... would that help?"

"We aren't sure but it might give us a lead." _Hopefully._

"Sure."

They all exit the room and the doctor gives them directions to the morgue to see the bodies. He tells them also that the victims are there as well if they would like to look at them, too. They thank the doctor and leave.

They talk a little in the car. It is a short drive to the morgue.

Dean speaks first. "So what do you think 7:40 means?"

"I don't know. I mean the number 40 is the number of death, but the number 7 is only the Number of Spiritual Perfection. That wouldn't make sense for an evil creature of any kind to use." _I rarely see the number 7 used because it is almost a holy number._

"Yea, I see what you're saying. But that number means something to this creature if it is making everyone die at that time." _It's also pretty precise. They die at that exact time every time._

"But the way they die isn't evil either. I mean organs failing is odd but not really supernatural." _It's very odd. Maybe there is something to it, but I don't know what._

"Yea." Dean stops there to think. _This just doesn't make any sense._

By that point they had reached the county morgue. They exit the car and walk inside. They are greeted almost right away by a nervous little fellow. He's short with brown hair and glasses. He's really nerdy. When they enter the building he runs forward to them. He speaks in a high squeaky voice. "Are you guys the people from the center for disease control?" But before they even get a chance to answer he continues. "Dr. Kendall called and told me you wanted to look at the other murderer's bodies. This way." And he leads them off to another room.

Dean looks at Sam and shrugs._ What a weird guy._ They follow the man.

They are each told to put on a pair of gloves. They walk in and what they see is a very crowded room full of corpses. There are 5 bodies lined up side by side with a little room to walk between them, and there were two bodies around the edge. There was no more room for any more bodies.

The little man speaks first. "Well where do you want to start?"

Dean looks around the room once before responding. "Well can we look at at murderers first?"

The man stutters. "Sure, yea, over here." He leads them over to the two bodies that were around the edge.

Dean takes one guy, Sam takes the other. They each grab a wrist and see that same symbol that was on Jake and the other guy who is still in the hospital. Sam then speaks. "But I thought there were 4 of them?"

The young man looks up. "Yea, there was no room so we had to put them away." He leads them over to drawers with many bodies on them. He opens up 2 of them.

Sam and Dean once again look at their wrists and both of them have that demonic symbol. Sam had yet to find out what it was, so for now they had no clue what to think.

Dean turns his head to look at the 5 bodies in the middle of the room. "Hey have all of these bodies been washed?"

The little man walks over to one body that is furthest from the door. "This one hasn't. It just came in a while ago and we are still examining him. He was going ot be washed a little while from now. You guys have good timing." The guy takes the cover off of the body and underneath is a young man with a stab wound to his heart.

Dean had brought his EMF Detector with him and now he just needed the man to leave the vicinity. He motions to Sam who picks up on the hint right away and leads the man away to look at the other bodies. As soon as their backs were turned he pulled out the EMF Detector. He knew that if there was any on her body that thing would be making a lot of noise but he didn't have time to put the earphones in, so he risks it and turns it on. He brings it close to the wound... but nothing. The EMF Detector does not react to any sulfuric residue that would have been on the body if something demonic had killed her. He puts the EMF Detector away quickly, than as a quick notion picks up her wrist to see f the symbol is there as well. There's nothing. So, it's only on the murderers. He leaves and walks over to Sam. "Ok, well I think we have all that we need for now, thanks." _This was a pretty useless trip._ Sam follows Dean out the door.

The man yells after them. "Please call if there is anything else that you need." He is left standing alone surrounded by bodies.

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**A/N2**: Sorry if there wasn't much action in this chapter. It just got longer and longer and I lost myself in it and not much really happened. But please read and review. That would be most appreciated. 


	5. Lost

**A/N: **Sorry this chapter took me so long. I have been busy and I could only work on it in pieces. I have now finished it. Hopefully you will read it and enjoy it.

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**Puppet  
Chapter 5: Lost**

**Later**

In another house we see a woman in flannel pajamas. Her blonde hair and pale face are seen even in the dark. She walks into a house through an unlocked front door. She slowly stalks into a room down a hallway. The woman pushes open the door and walks over to a twin bed. There is only a man sleeping on the bed. Through the window, which is in the view of the woman, you can see a dark cloudy sky with a small glow from the moon. This glow illuminates the woman's face and we see the same evil stare. A cloud passes over the moon. In the dark we hear a sound, a slight groan, that says that this woman killed this sleeping man.

**Next Day**

Sam and Dean are once again in the hospital. They are in a room in a different section of the hospital, and are standing beside a woman's bed. Her hair is blonde and her face in unnaturally pale. She is once again in an unconscious state. It was about noon, and the boys knew that in a few hours this woman would probably die just as the others had. They didn't really know how to stop it because they still had no good idea about what was going on here. They check just for fact checking to see if this woman has a symbol on her arm. This time when they see it they aren't really all that surprised. They needed to get some more information on this case as soon as possible so they leave to investigate.

They arrive back at the hotel and immediately, Sam whips out the laptop to investigate some more to see if there is any kind of pattern. Dean had pulled out the journal to search it one more time. He flips to the page that Sam had found before. Nothing new comes out of it.

Sam was searching intently on the computer. Dean had been lying on the bed. He had almost fallen asleep when the journal slid off his lap and landed on the floor with a soft plop. Dean and Sam both jolted. Sam then looks at Dean and shakes his head.

Dean is still sitting still. "What? There's nothing new in here since last time we looked." _Caught me slacking off_

Sam rolls his eyes. "Why don't you go check on the girl if you're so bored."

Dean speaks in a small mimicking voice. "Why don't you go check on the girl. Well why don't you do it?" _Smart ass._

"Because, I'm actually doing something on here."

Dean glares at him. He was right._ He's always right. I thought I was always supposed to be right. I am older_. He couldn't do anything more here. "Fine."

"Fine." Sam doesn't even look up from the computer.

Dean grabs his jacket and his keys. He grabs a room key and opens the door. Sam looks up. He then sighs and slams him laptop shut. "Wait, I'm coming with you."

Dean turns around at Sam's voice and raises his eyebrows. He gives Sam a little smile. Sam grabs him jacket as well and walks to the door. Dean is still looking at him. "Well."

Dean chuckles. "Nothing. Come on."

They drive to the hospital. They didn't really know what they were looking for. On the way there Dean had set his watch for 7:40, which is when he knew the woman would die. It was only an hour away now. Once again when they got in there it was quiet. This time a different receptionist was at the front desk. They strode past her. They took another route this time and got to the girl's room. Some doctors were standing outside the room. Two policemen were on either side of the door. Dr. Kendall comes over to speak with them for a few minutes before they could get in the room.

By the time he had gotten done with them, the boys only had a half an hour left. They get into the room. They didn't really know what they were doing there. Being there wasn't really helping them much.

Being in the room for 10 minutes Dean speaks first. "Well maybe we were wrong. Being here we aren't finding anything more, so maybe there isn't anything supernatural going on here." _It's so weird but not much else_.

"Yea, we got rid of the demon, but how could we explain all of this? The symbol, the timed deaths, it doesn't add up." _It does add up to something creepy._

"Maybe there isn't anything weird though. Maybe it is just some freak medical thing."

"This doesn't look like I freak medical thing. It's just a feeling. It's a weird feeling. It's..." _It's different then other feelings. What the..._

"What?" _He looks nauseous._

"Huh? Nothing. It's nothing. Never mind." _It's gone now._ "Come on. We don't need to be here for..."_ I don't think Dean needs to see another death._

"Yea."

Sam and Dean slowly exit the hospital. They reach the door and exit. They walk towards the car. About half way their Dean watch beeps. He stops and looks at it. It reads 7:40pm. Dean knows that the woman would be dead by now. Dean was just about to say something when he heard a sound beside him. He looked over expecting to see Sam looking back but there was no Sam. Sam had fallen to the ground. He had fainted and now lay there collapsed in a ball.

Dean quickly rushes to his side. He picks up his head. He had hit his head and it was now bleeding. Dean tries to shake him awake. "Sam. Sammy wake up." _Damn it. What happened?_

His screaming had alerted a couple of people who had also exited the hospital. Dean got under control. "It's ok. He just fainted. I'll take him home. He'll be fine." He had said that not just to tell a story to the by-standers but to also reassure himself. He wasn't sure what had happened to him Sammy, but he would find out and take care of him until he got better. He picked up him body and carried him the rest of the way to the Impala.

He drives as fast as he can back to the motel._ Sammy, please be all right._ Reaching the motel, Dean pulls Sam out and rushes him into the room. He places him gently onto the bed and makes him more comfortable. He had not yet woken up, and Dean was really worrying now. Dean sits by Sam's side for a long while, not really knowing what to do. He checks him for physical signs of damage. He patches up the bump on his head and he could only hope that his head was fine. _I just need you to wake up Sammy. _

Dean didn't feeling going to sleep at all. He turns on the police radio. He didn't hear anything about any killings over the night but if he knew the pattern there would be something in the morning. Sam was on one side of the twin bed closest to the door. Dean didn't want to move far from him at all, so he lay down beside him on that bed and flipped on the TV. He wasn't even watching it. He had the volume on mute and didn't even have his eyes on the screen. _What the hell would do this to him. He hasn't ever fainted before for no good, supernatural or otherwise, reason. This evil creature is going to pay big time. Sammy better be fine. I have to keep him safe. I have to watch him._ He didn't even realize it but he eventually fell asleep.

He jolted awake at 10:00am. The quick sudden movement made by him starts himself and actually wakes Sam up. Dean is sitting straight up and then beside him he hears a groan. He looks over. Dean puts his hand gently on Sam's chest. "Hey, are you ok?" _If he's awake he shouldn't have any serious brain-damage can he?_

Sam looks over at Dean who is staring at him with a worried look._ Why the look Dean? _"What happened?"

"The watch beeped, 7:40pm, and you just fainted beside me yesterday. You hit your head pretty hard. Do you feel alright?" _Oh god please be all right._

"I feel fine. I don't know what happened." Dean was still staring at him in that worried brother look. "Look, I'm fine ok? Don't worry."

Dean tries to lighten the air. "Fine."

Sam replies kindly. "Fine."

Dean can't hold the grin that was on his face. "Just don't scare me like that again." _I can't loose you._

Sam keeps quiet. _Thanks for worrying bro._

Dean is of course still worried about Sam, but he can't just lie around. "Ok, well I am going to go and look into the victim's histories. Just stay here, get some sleep. Ok?"

"Dean, I'm fine. I can..." He wasn't able to finish.

"No. I want you to get some rest for now. I will be back in a while. Just please stay in bed." Sam doesn't answer him. "Promise?"

"Ok," was all Sam could say. He couldn't just lay there and do nothing. He wouldn't leave the room, but he couldn't stay lying down._ I made that promise. Don't worry, I'll be fine._

"Ok." Dean grabs the car keys, which he had thrown on the bed. He hadn't even taken off his jacket. He walks out the door, stopping briefly to look at Sam, and locks the door.

Dean had been sitting in the file room once again for a while now. He eventually lost track of time. He spent so much time searching through the files. He did find them all though and there was nothing out of the ordinary as he could tell from the files. That was the most he could do. So, he jumps up, grateful for a chance to stretch, and drives to a fast-food restaurant to picks up some food for Sam and him.

He had places the food on the seat beside him, and he could smell the onion rings. That was all he could think of. He hadn't eaten in a while and he couldn't wait to dig into something greasy like delicious onion rings.

With onion rings in hand and a smile on his face, Dean unlocks the motel room door. He shouts as he opens the door. "Hey, I picked us up some grub. It took so much will power not to eat those onion rings. You better appreciate..." He stops there. The door was open behind him, and he was standing in front of it, staring at an empty bed. He plops the food down on chair beside the door. "Sammy? Sammy where are you?" He shouts louder. "Sammy?!" He checks the bathroom. There is no sign of Sam. _Where are you kiddo?_

By this time Dean is really panicking. He immediately tries his cell. He dials Sam's number. He hears a ringing behind him. There is Sam's phone on the table beside the bed, right where he had left it. This really scares Dean. There he stands in the middle of a motel room, in complete distress with no idea of the whereabouts of his baby brother. _Oh God Sam. Maybe you went out? No. I told you to stay. I didn't expect you to stay in bed, but I know you wouldn't leave the room. Somebody is going to pay._

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**A/N2:** It is shorter than my last chapter, but hopefully I left you guessing at the end. Please read and review. I love hearing what you guys have to say. I love criticism even more. Thank you.


	6. North Star

**A/N:** I am sorry that it took so long. I know the last chapter was a big cliffhanger, but I have just gotten to time to write this. So here is chapter 6.

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**Puppet  
Chapter 6: North Star**

Dean decides in his mind that maybe Sam could have left the room. He leaves the room and searches in the immediate vicinity. Anywhere he could have walked to. He, also, searches some back alleyways just incase he fell or was attacked._ He would be extremely weak with that head wound._ He doesn't find him. He couldn't even find anyone who had possibly seen him. He heads back to the hotel to think.

_God, this is bad. _He enters the room, half-hoping in his mind that maybe Sam would still be lying on the bed where he had left him. There was no Sam. He was just about to put his jacket down when he hears a rustle behind him. "Sam?" He whips around.

Someone chuckles from the shadows.

Dean goes to a drawer to grab a gun. In the meantime, a man walks out from the shadows of the door. He is an older man with pure evil in his eyes.

Dean points the 9mm at this man. "Who the hell are you?"

The man remains silent. He walks a little closer towards the light and towards the tip of Dean's gun.

"Where's my brother?"

The man had his hand in his jacket pocket, and now he pulls it out.

"Don't move." _He's so ominous._

Dean is only answered with silence. The man has a piece of paper in his hand, folded 2 times. Dean looks at it. The man holds out this piece of paper for Dean to take. _What does this guy want? He doesn't seem evil, but very dark. _The older man shakes the paper in Dean's face, making it very obvious for him to take it. Dean is very reluctant, but he keeps the gun pointed and takes the paper from this man. As soon as the paper had left his hands, the man flees from the room, swiftly and silently. He is out the door before Dean knows what had happened. Dean is left with the gun pointed at air and a note in his hand.

Dean regains control of his thoughts and books it out into the night. In the distance he can see the man who had come to him this night. The older man is walking towards the main office. Dean almost crashes into him trying to catch up. He stops right behind him and turns him around. The man has normal eyes and staggered breathing. The man speaks in a shaky voice. "Who are you? What happened? Where..."

Dean can see this man is disoriented, but he needs to know where his brother is. "Do you remember what just happened?"

"No, I mean last thing I remember is it was light out, and I had the sun shining in through a window, and I was working on my laptop. I... I was reading an email from my sister."

"You don't remember anything over the last few minutes?" _Damn..._

The man slightly shouts. He is beginning to get really scared. "I don't remember anything over the last few hours!"

Dean knows he has to leave now. He turns around and walks back to the motel room. The man then shouts behind him. "Can I help you with something?"

"No... No I'm good." Dean turns around. He walks a few steps before he whispers to himself. "For now." He gets into the motel room and stops. His hand is in his pocket, tightly wrapped around the piece of paper that man had given him. He had almost forgotten all about it.

He pulls it out. Written on it was almost poetic. It wrote, "If you would like to meet me, come to the old plane storage facility in the direction of the North Star. Be prepared. You may not like what you see. You may not like what you feel. You may not like whom you meet. Be prepared." _What kind of warning is that? I don't care. If it helps me find Sammy I will go no matter what._ He ran out of the room, barely leaving time to grab a bag full of weapons. Dean reached the car and got in. With his great sense of direction, he knew without looking where the North Star was. He pulls out a map of the local area. He looks in the general area of the North Star on the map, but found no plane storage facility. _Damn it, this search could take forever. By that time Sammy could be... NO I can't even think that._ _Sammy is..._ He put the map away and just started to drive... on instinct.

He had been driving around for a while in the north. He was getting very impatient. It was dark outside, so there is really no one out and about this time of night. He does spot a woman in a red dress that comes out of an alley, though. He quickly flags her over. "Do you know where there is an old place storage facility?"

"Umm, if you mean the Reston Plane Facility, then it is down that way," she points north, "a couple miles, 10 or so. You do have to take some turns to get there."

_Great._ "Thanks."

"No one has been there for years, or so I think. What do you need there?"

_Please don't ask._ "Just wondering." _That was a lame excuse._

"Ok, good night to you then."

"Yea, thanks again, good bye." _God I sound rushed._ He steps on the gas and zooms down the road. He looks back in the mirror. He sees her standing right where he left her. He glances in the mirror again and she was gone. He focuses back on the road.

He searches around for a long while. He was getting very, very impatient. _Maybe, the note is some kind of code?_ _Maybe, that woman isn't thinking of the right place._

He finally had to leave the boundaries of Beryl, going to the outskirts of the town. He eventually came to a stop in front of a huge, older building. On the front was "R...STO..." some letters faded completely down. It looked like it hadn't even been looked at for a time longer than he even cared to think.

Dean doesn't even think as he sneaks around the back, trying to find any escape routes or a better entrance than the front door. He finds the back entrance and sneaks in. He has no plan at all in mind. He didn't even come prepared. All he had was a gun tucked neatly away in the back of his pants, hidden under his shirt and jacket. He walks in. What he saw was a huge room. It was lit with flickering lights in the ceiling. There were a few plane parts scattered around the edge, but mostly, the rooms was completely empty... ... until Dean's eyes fell on a woman... ... A woman with a red dress.

Dean wasn't really paying attention when he had asked her for directions, but he did have his hunter skills in gear and made sure to recognize the woman for future reference. This future reference came sooner than he thought it would. Dean is kind of stunned when he sees her.

The woman speaks first. "You came faster than I thought you would."

_You bitch. You knew where Sam was. You were calm as you told me where to find you. Bitch._ "Where's Sam?"

The woman looks heart broken. "What's the rush?" She walks over to him gracefully. Dean meets her halfway. This woman looks him up and down and walks around him, dragging her fingers over his chest, going around him 360 degrees, dragging her fingers over his back. Dean follows her with his eyes. He is pissed. She stops in front of him, her hand placed gently on his chest. She has a malicious grin on her face.

"Where is he?" He wants to know, but he fears the answer.

"Do you really want to know?"

_Oh god... Sammy. No maybe she is kidding. He can't be..._ "What did you do to him?" His blood is boiling.

She smiles even wider. "Let's see what you will do." She backs up and raises her hand.

Dean hears a sound behind him. From outside someone walks in. He shuts the door, locks it, and walks forward into the light. Dean's eyes go wide. "Sam." Dean takes a couple steps forward towards Sam.

He stops dead when Dean looks into Sam's eyes. They had a look of pure evil. Dean had never seen such an evil look. Dean actually had a tinge of fear in him. Dean can't speak.

The woman speaks up. "Let's take a look-see, shall we?"

Dean could only hear her, not able to take his eyes off his brother.

Sam lifts up his arm, his shirtsleeve falling off revealing a mark that they had seen on all the murderers. For a couple seconds Dean just stares at his brother helplessly. Suddenly, Dean's watch beeps. Without looking at it, Dean knows it read 9:40.

Sam flinches at that time. He, then, rushes at Dean. Running, he pulls out a knife. The knife gleams in the dim light that illuminates this dark place.

He runs towards Dean fully intent on killing him. Sam slashes at Dean's chest. Dean rolls out of the way just in time. In mid roll Dean pulls out the gun he had grabbed. He stands quickly and aims the gun... at his brother.

Sam turns to face where Dean is standing. The woman walks toward this scene a little. "Oh, a gun. What a brilliant idea! I mean you just kill Sam here... and kill me and you can just walk out of here. Why did I not prepare myself for this? Oh that's right..."

The woman doesn't need to say any more. Dean knows what she is saying. He could never kill his brother. He also can't kill the woman for fear that she would put Sam in the bullet's path. A human shield. _Perfect._

Dean is at a complete standstill. _I need a plan._ _I need something._ Dean knows one thing for sure: He cannot shoot his brother, his Sam.

The woman continues. "You don't even need to ask. Of course that was my plan all along. So, why don't you just put down the gun. You won't use it. I know you won't..." She smiles. "Or will you?" She holds out her arms to her sides. The woman is giving Dean permission to use the gun and kill her.

He doesn't even aim the gun at her. He uncocks the gun and puts the safety on, and he lets it slide out of his hand. It hits the floor and echoes through the room.

The woman puts down her arms. "Good. Now, kick the gun to me."

Dean stares incredulously at her. He kicks the gun to her feet. She doesn't even bother to pick it up but steps over it towards Sam. "That was pretty stupid of you. You are both going to die anyway. Atleast it could have been from your hand, not mind. Oh well, you just condemned your brother to a slow and painful death. Fine with me. First, let's have some fun." She doesn't even seem to move, but Sam does react to something and once again moves towards Dean.

_Oh God Sam..._ "Come on, Sam. You can fight this. You're stronger than her." He is totally pleading, finding no other way to help Sam. "Who can I pick on if you don't fight this? I'll even let you drive the car out of here." Sam slashes at Dean again. And again, it is dodged.

"It is no use. I control him, now. You can't get to him." She walks back a little to give Sam and Dean a little more play room.

Dean directs his attention to the woman who had done this to his brother. He almost whispers when he talks to her. "You son of a bitch. You think this is fun? Stop torturing him." Dean is so very close to tears. He dodges another slash from Sam's long blade. Sam is moving at slow pace, not wanting to rush anything.

"I haven't had fun like this for a long time. I have been pretty stressed lately. I need to unwind. This is the perfect way to do it, so... no. Come on, Sam."

Sam reacts and moves quicker in his attacks.

_Damn it. The woman is making sure I can't get to her. I can't get past Sam._ Dean continues to dodge more frequent attacks. But he knows his body can't handle much more. He is also not finding any solution to this problem either.

Dean is getting way too tired to fight. He makes an attempt to get to the woman. Sam blocks his path, but Dean kicks him hard in the sides. Sam barely flinches.

The woman makes a face like it had hurt. "Ooh ouch. That's got to hurt. I didn't know you had it in you."

Sam seems to have stopped attacking momentarily. Dean half yells half pleads over Sam's shoulder. "Bitch! Let him go now, or I swear I'll..."

She doesn't give him time to finish. "You'll what? Kill me. You can't even get to me. You can't get to me without going through your brother first. He won't let you pass."

Dean thinks he hears a sound behind him. _I can feel it. Someone is there._ He looks. _But there is no one._ _Someone is watching. I can't get out, though._ He puts his mind back into the situation at hand.

Through the distraction Dean hopes that they might both be unprepared, so he rushes at the woman. Sam recoils fast and blocks his path. _If that didn't work then I don't know what to do._

Dean could have thought up a storm, but no thought comes to mind. Dean can see that this situation is hopeless. He drops his head to his chest. The woman takes this as a sign of giving up, and Sam slashes his brother. The knife cuts deep into Dean's chest.

Dean cries out from shock and pain, and he falls to his knees. Sam towers over him. Dean grunts and looks up at his brother, looking deep into his eyes. He sees no trace of anything that could be perceived as kindness, no trace of his Sam. Dean speaks in a shaky, barely audible voice. "I'm sorry Sam. I'm sorry I couldn't help you. I'm sorry I couldn't save you. Sammy... I'm sorry."

Dean drops his head once again, his chin hitting his chest hard. _Waiting... waiting... waiting is the hardest part._

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**A/N2:** There is lots of action in this chapter as well, but you may have guessed you may not have, but I am not very good at writing fight scenes. I hope it is still good. Please write a review on it. Lots of criticism, please.  
**A/N3:** I kind of left you in another cliffhanger. Don't get too worked up. I'm trying to write faster.


	7. Red On Red

**A/N:** Ok, I tried really hard to get this chapter posted faster than the others without rushing too much, so here it is. Please read it.  
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**Puppet  
Chapter 7: Red On Red**

The woman in the red dress smiles. "Good-bye, Dean." She turns to give them a little privacy in their last moments.

From above Dean, though, Sam's arm begins to shake. Dean shivers for no reason. Sam blinks his eyes. He then whispers to Dean. "Dean."

Dean shivers again. He looks up. Sam stutters. "I can't... fight... ... for long."

New hope is restored in Dean's eyes. "Sammy?" _Good boy._

Sam is still struggling to speak. "Dean... I..."

Dean is ecstatic. He still keeps his voice at a whisper. "It's ok Sammy." Dean stands up. He faces Sam square in the eyes, also placing his hands on his brothers shoulders. "It's ok. I will stop her and save you if you fight this for me. Ok?"

No response.

"Sammy?"

Sam blinks some more and replies. "You can't."

"I can't what?" _I can save you. I will save you._

"Stop her."

"I have to... to save you." _I swear I will..._

Sam has a very monotone. " You can't."

Dean looks at him sadly. "Sammy."

Sam speaks again. "Trust me."

"Trust..." Dean is cut off by the woman's voice.

She had turned around and was now facing Sam and Dean. She seemed to be furious. "What are you doing?"

Neither brother responds.

She gets even more frustrated. She shouts. "Obey me!" Dean shivers. _It's actually kind of cold in here._

He doesn't even know what is happening before he realizes Sam's hand is clasped around his wrist. "Sammy?"

Sam remains quiet. He then flips Dean over his shoulder. Dean is now between a purely evil Sam and a seductive woman.

Dean looks up from his position on the ground. "No." _Oh god. I thought I had gotten through to him._

Sam walks forward and stands right in front of Dean. He stops.

"Good boy, Sammy." The woman walks forward towards Dean, who is sprawled on the ground. The woman takes the knife from Sam's still hand. Then she yanks on Dean's very short hair and pulls his head up higher. She sticks the knife to his throat.

Dean is just looking into Sam's eyes. _There is no way I can save him. Nothing. Just nothing._

The woman kicks Dean in the stomach, not worrying about her 3-inch high heels. She drops Dean's head in the process. This resulted in Dean falling on his hands and knees.

Dean looks up at Sam again. His mind is working furiously.

The woman looks like she has a look of pity on her face. She slowly kneels beside Dean on the floor. She whispers into his ear very tentatively. "You know I do this for the greater evil, right?" She pets the back of his neck with her right hand. "You are a bad, bad person. You and your brother must die before 'something' gets hurt."

Dean thinks. _Something like what, bitch._

She moves her hand down his back. She then places the knife from her left hand to her right. This woman's features harden and she places the knife at the back of his neck. Dean drops his head. The tip of the knife is cooling his red hot nerves. The knife slides down to his shoulders. Then the woman makes on quick movement and slashes the knife... cutting lightly into Dean's back.

Dean clenches his teeth together and stifles a scream. His back arches, getting away from the knife.

The woman cuts another mark into him, finishing off a neat little X mark.

Dean is really too weak to resist. _Sammy, why aren't you helping? Sammy, do you really want me to die?_ He collapses onto his elbows.

The woman pushes him over onto his bleeding back. She looks at the cut that Sam had inflicted not moments ago. It was still bleeding pretty profusely. She pokes at it with a knife. One. Dean groans. Two. Dean grunts. Three. Dean flinches. She then lifts the knife above his heart, ready to stab him and put him out of his misery.

Dean closes his eyes and thinks more. _Maybe I should try to get out of this. Atleast try to save Sam. But how? I tried to get through to him. So, if this woman doesn't kill me, Sammy will. Or I will have to kill Sammy. No, I could never ever bring myself to do that... ... But he is evil. He would want me to finish him off myself. I... I could save him... Atleast he will be safe that way. Sammy, I... _But his thoughts are disrupted.

Dean hears a thunk beside him and the woman is lying on his stomach. She is lying quite still.

Dean looks up at his brother who is now bending down to help Dean. Shadow is covering his eyes.

Before Sam can help Dean, the woman skillfully whirls around and bashes Sam in the nose with a tight fist. Sam touches his nose, making sure it is not broken. He then kicks the woman straight in the stomach. She barely flinches. Sam recoils and tries for the knife, hoping to disarm her. She twists around him and cuts into his back. Sam screams and quickly reaches his hand to his wound, in the process falling to his knees. His back is to Dean.

Sam tries to stumble back up to his feet. He is pushed down rather aggressively.

The woman screams at Sam. "You little bastard. What did you do? How did you do it? No one has ever done that before." She is not even in the mood to negotiate. She lifts the knife above her head, ready to plunge it into Sam chest. She brings it down in one sweeping motion.

But before the woman knew what had happened, Dean was on her. He hits her in the back of the head, sending her flying over Sam's body.

Sam is about to topple over when Dean catches him in his arms. "Sammy? Sammy, you alright?"

Sam is quiet for a few seconds. He is still a little shaken up from being controlled. He replies. "I told you to trust me."

Dean smiles. "Yea, well sorry if your mono tone didn't really convince me." He then spoke in a more serious tone. "You really had me worried there, kiddo."

Dean is looking into Sam's now clear eyes. Sam stares at his brother, silently saying sorry and thanking him. _And the worst part was I saw and remember it all. Believe me, I would never intentionally hurt you. _

On that thought, Sam stands up.

Dean is still worried. "Hey."

Sam lets go of Dean's shoulder letting him know he is fine. Sam bends down and grabs the knife that had been in the woman's hands about to be stuck into the only thing keeping him alive. It feels comfortable in his hands. Both he and Dean walk over to the woman who is now beginning to move.

Once again Sam bends down. This time it is beside the woman's body. He turns her over onto her back. She opens her eyes.

"You bitch. How dare you toy with us like that. You are sick. I will only be doing you a favor with this." Sam looks at the knife.

The woman taunts him. "Do it."

_You don't have to ask me twice._ Sam frowns deeply.

The woman smiles on her back. Sam's features go dark, evil. He lifts the knife above the woman's heart. Dean couldn't have stopped his brother if he had tried. The blade is quickly but gracefully lowers to her heart and shoved in hard. The woman's breathe stops. She doesn't even try to breathe again. Sam hadn't even flinched as he had killed her.

Red blood from the wound pours out gently, running over her blood red dress. The blood almost seems to disappear as it runs down over her.

Dean is breathless himself for a little bit. _Sam?_ "Sam, you ok?" _He's so silent._

Sam darkly turns his head around to Dean.

Dean swallows. "...Sammy?"

Sam reacts to the name. He blinks a couple times.

Dean looks into Sam's eyes. He gives his brother a looks that says, _You scared me for a minute there, kiddo._

Sam returns a look. _I'm sorry, Dean._

Dean finishes their silent conversation. _I know you are, Sammy. _"Come on, Sammy."

Sam is still a little weak and shaken, so Dean uses himself as a human crutch and helps Sam limp out of the Reston Place Facility together.

Once outside and near the car, Dean looks at Sam, inquiring something, fiddling with the keys in his pocket. Sam can hear the rattling. Sam smiles. _I know you said I could drive. _"You drive."

"Sweet." _I don't even know if I want you driving her. You ruin her too much anyway._

Sam limps around the car, using the hood as a rail. They both slip into the car.

Dean smiles. "Come on, baby, take us home." They drove off into the night with dust flicking up from under Dean's baby.

By the time they got back to their room Sam had fallen asleep.

Dean had taken a few wrong turns for in his haste to get to Sam earlier that Dean hadn't really paid attention to where he was going. Sam eventually got tired of watching his brother silently curse at finding himself at a dead end and eventually drifted off into the dream world.

When they did finally get back to the room Dean had to rouse Sam slightly to get him into the room. In his haste Dean hadn't even locked the door. Nothing looked disturbed, so he walks right in.

Dean gently places Sam on the bed. Sam's head hits the pillow, and he falls back to sleep. Dean walks to the end of the bed to take of Sam's shoes. He figures Sam would be too tired to care whether he slept in his clothes or not, so he left his the way he was.

Dean looks at his arm, which is covered with blood. That was the arm he used to help move Sam around. He then remembers the cut that Sam has gotten on his back. He grabs the first aid kit from a near-by bag and turns Sam over onto his side. He wipes the deep wound with a wet cloth he had grabbed from the bathroom. _God, it looks painful. If I had of just gotten off my lazy ass to help your lazy ass, this might not have happened. Damn... _He takes out a needle and thread from a box. He stitches Sam up. Every so often he would see Sam flinch or hear him groan. _I'm being as careful as I can, kiddo. Hold on._ After 20 stitches Dean was finished. He gently rolls him onto his back again where Sam seems to breathe a sigh of relief.

Dean walks over to the other bed and sits on it. He rests his elbows on his knees and his face in his hands. He rubs his face nervously. He sits there staring at Sam for a long while. He can't think about anything else except for the fact that he had almost lost his brother again.

After about an hour of staring, Sam wakes up. He looks over at Dean, who has a worried look on his face. _You look awful, dude. _Sam stares right back at Dean for what seems like an eternity, for Sam, before Dean snaps out of his trance and notices Sam is awake.

"How are you feeling?"

Sam looks down at Dean's bloodstained shirt. "You haven't cleaned your wounds, yet?"

Dean looks down at the red gashes. "Ah, don't worry 'bout it."

"I do worry." Sam sits up in bed and swings his legs over the side. " Come here. I'll clean then up. I can feel you did my back."

Dean smiles. "Yea, it was pretty bad. 20 stitches. Getting weak there, kiddo."

Sam laughs. "Yea, well I think you'll twice as many as me, jerk."

"Bitch." _Good to have you back, little bro._

"Now let me clean your cuts before I have to tie you up and do it."

Dean laughs sarcastically. "Yea right. In your dreams pip-squeak." But Dean does stand up and sits on Sam's bed to get his wounds cleaned.

Sam sits cross-legged behind him to clean and stitch his back wound first. Dean hardly flinches. Sam then starts on Dean's front side where the X is clearly marked on his bare skin. J_eez, Dean._ They both stay in silence. Then to get back at Dean for anything that he had done to Sam in the past Sam pulls extra hard on the thread on the last cut. He pulls it tight, tighter then is required, and Dean yells.

"Oww. What the hell was that for?"

"Oh, I'm sure you deserve it from somewhere along the line." _I'm sure I can think of something._

"You are so going to get it." _You are so dead, dude._

_So you think. _"Yea, yea." Sam then grabs the bandages and tapes them on.

Dean was paying more attention now, so when Sam reaches for Dean's shoulder he notices something. "Sam."

Sam stops working and looks at his brother. He was staring intently at his arm. _What is it now?_ Sam looks art his arm. There on his wrist is the symbol that was on it when he was being controlled. He is in total shock. "But I thought that it would go away after..."

Dean is starting to sweat. "So did I." _This isn't good. This isn't good at all._

They both stare at it. They knew that the last person who had this on them had ended up dead by odd causes. They also knew that the last 'few' people who had that symbol all died, too. They also knew when they would die. Dean checks his watch. It reads 12:30. That only gave them a few hours before... _No, I will not him die after I just got him back._ Dean covers the mark with his hand and places Sam's arm by his side. Dean doesn't have the courage to say anything.

Sam is the one who speaks first. "Dean, I'm going to..."

"Don't even say it. Sam, don't you dare even say it."

"...die."

"Sammy... ... no... no you aren't." He is choking down tears.

Sam's voice is cracking. "Dean, how can you...?"

Dean's rage is building up. "I don't know, but I can try." The conversation was cut there. After a couple seconds Dean gently pulls Sam up and pushes him down onto the bed. Sam lays down willingly. Dean covers him up with some clean blankets. Dean stares at his brother as he slowly closes his eyes, exhaustion catching up to him again. Dean affectionately runs his fingers through Sam's hair. He rests his hand on his brother's head.

Sam falls asleep rather quickly despite the situation at hand. Before he does though, he thinks. _I'm sorry for putting you through this twice in one night, Dean. I don't know what to do. I don't want to die, but I don't want you to get reckless trying to save me. Please, don't think that this is your fault. I'll be fine, just stay strong._

Dean is staring at the symbol after Sam falls asleep._ God, why do these things always happen to Sammy? Why couldn't the bitch put that symbol thingy on me? I feel like it is all my fault, but I know Sam wouldn't want me to think that way. I will try to save you. I will try anything. Just give me time. God, please give me time._

That is when Dean pulls away from Sam. He gets up and grabs his cellphone and Sam's laptop from the table. He lies down on Sam's bed for his bed is still fully drenched in his blood. He settles in for a long night.

He first uses the cellphone, calling some friends and hunters like Bobby, Caleb, Pastor Jim, and even Missouri Mosley. He explains the situation to all of them in turn and asks them to help him find out information about the symbol.

He then starts his search on the Internet. He doesn't know where Sam had left off, so he starts a search of his own. He goes over article after article finding the same pile of nothing Sam had found before. But while reading a pointless article, Dean falls asleep.

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**A/N2:** Ok, I still don't think I am that great at action scenes, but I hope this one wasn't that bad. I don't think it was. And I hope I left you guessing for like the 3 time in a row. Please read, and help me with my addiction with some reviews. Thanks for reading, people. 


	8. Why Is It Always Sammy?

**A/N:** A big thanks goes out to all who have read my story thus far. I really appreciate the interest, and the reviews are really helpful. Thank you, thank you.  
**A/N2:** There is also more swearing than normal. Not alot, but more. You have been warned.

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**Puppet  
Chapter 8: Why Is It Always Sammy?**

Dean wakes up the next morning to his cellphone ringing on his lap. He wakes up abruptly and jumps when he hears it ringing. He catches it before it falls to the ground. He quickly answers it. "Hello?"

"Hey Dean, it's Bobby." He pauses. "You alright?"

Dean was staring at Sam. He was hoping what had happened last night was all a nightmare, but when he sees Sam lying on the bed beside him right where he left him, he sees that his nightmare was true.

"Dean?"

Dean snaps back to reality. "Huh? Oh sorry, Bobby. You got something for me?"

Bobby is quiet for a few minutes before he continues. "Uh, yea. That symbol that you described to me... well it wasn't very easy to find... it, uh, it sounds alot like this one I found... uh."

Dean is getting impatient again. "Bobby, spill. What is it?"

"Well, it isn't good. It's a symbol that doesn't have a name, or not one I could find. But what it is... well it's some sort of demonic explosive symbol."

Dean interjects. "Details, Bobby, I need details." _The thing sounds bad._

"Well, when it is completely marked on a victim, it will detonate in a certain amount of time depending on the size of it. Smaller is less time, bigger is more. Simple."

Dean knew with the pattern and all that, it would be 12 hours before it went off... and now he only had 2 hours 40 minutes left. _Damn it, why did I have to fall asleep. I never fall asleep when it comes to Sammy's safety._

Bobby continues. "You can't break the mark, or it will go off right then and there. You can't cut it off, because it goes deep beneath the skin, and it is just like breaking it, it will go off. When the victim is marked they are normal, until 6 hours before detonation no matter the size. If the victim is sleeping, they look normal. If the victim is awake they stare at nothing, unable to really make contact unless they have a strong will or strong connections to something or someone here. When the mark goes off it is from the inside. Really, the thing blows up, and if successful then it makes it look like the organs just gave out, but if the symbol isn't big enough then it will just really hurt, it won't be lethal."

_God, he is rambling. I need him to get to the important part._ He waits. "Bobby, how do I get rid of it?" He almost yells it.

Bobby hesitates, stuttering. "I've only ever heard of this once. It takes a pretty powerful demon to apply it. So, because it doesn't occur often... I have no idea how to get rid of it." There is a hint of sadness ringing in Dean's ear from the other end of the line.

Dean can't believe it. _No, I can't let him die like that. There has got to be something that he missed, something I can find._

"Don't worry, Dean. I have a few hunters doing research for me. They are working as hard as they can. It has already been confirmed that even if you get rid of the demon who put the symbol there, the symbol won't go away." He pauses again. "But don't worry. I won't stop looking. I am doing everything I can." There is no sound on the other end of the line. "Dean?"

Dean swallows. "Uh, yea, thanks Bobby. Please, call me when you find something more." There is such desperation in his tone.

Bobby doesn't hesitate. "You know I will. Bye, Dean."

Dean clicks his phone off before he says good-bye. He doesn't care. All of his focus and thoughts are on Sam. He looks at Sam. _My Sam. My Sammy who I have been fighting to protect all my life. And yet after it all, some demon was just going to step in and take him away from me just like that? I don't think so._

Dean was on the verge of tears, but he stopped himself. _I can't show my tears. I need to stay strong for Sammy. _

Dean didn't even realize it, but while he was on the phone with Bobby he had jumped up off the bed. He walks over to Sam, to talk to him. He places his hand on Sam's chest, and it jumps. Dean was about to lift his hand when Sam's eyes flutter open.

But the stare was not his. His eyes were so blank and lifeless... just like those of the murderers.

Once again, Dean fights off a volley of tears. _God, he's so lifeless. This is bad, man. I need you here, Sammy. Don't leave. Don't go where I can't follow. This is so cheesy of me. I'm supposed to be stronger than this. Sam, please stay with me. Sammy._ Through his rage that he built up while thinking, Dean hits Sam's still chest with a fist.

Sam gasps. _Oh my god, is it starting?_ He checks his watch. Dean still has a couple hours. _No not yet. Can't be. Must have been a muscle reflex._

Sam starts breathing normal again, but then his eyelids slowly drop.

Dean has a very anxious tone in his voice. "Sam?" His eyebrows are raised in anticipation.

Sam's eyes again open and reveal the same geek boy Sam that Dean knew. His eyes were still tired looking though.

Dean repeats in the same tone. "Sam?"

Sam's voice is dry. "Dean?"

"Hey, Sammy. How are you feeling?" _How is this possible? Wait, Bobby said something about strong will. Strong connections. _He pauses. _Good job, kiddo. _He smiles inwardly.

"I... I feel tired. Wait, aren't I supposed to be dead." He looks at the mark on his arm. _It's still there. God, I wonder how Dean is feeling. It must just be killing him. _

"No... No." Dean shakes his head slightly is determination.

"But Dean I..."

"No." There is a hint of anger still in his voice.

"Ok." Then Sam breaks into a smile. "But later, I am going to kill you."

"Huh?"

"You actually let me sleep in these jeans? They're going to wrinkle and they're really uncomfortable." He smiles even wider.

Dean grins devilishly. "Yea, well, I thought maybe you might find some hot chicks... 'in your dreams'. That's the only way you can get one." He almost laughs. "I can't even get anything here. When I was looking for you last night, I didn't see a single bar in the whole town. I haven't had a beer in my system for so long now."

"Oh right, only a couple days. Yea you look like you are finally sobering up, you old drunk."

Dean grins at him then sighs.

Sam takes the hint. "A little distraction, hey?"

Dean says nothing. Then the cellphone rings behind him. It's lying on the bed behind him. Dean lunges for it and turns it on.

"Hey, Dean. It's Bobby again."

Dean sighs in relief. "Oh, hey Bobby."

"I have some information."

Dean looks at Sam excitedly. "Okay, shoot."

"Well, I still haven't found a way to get rid of it, but I have found a way to make it a little better." He waits for Dean to say something. When he hears nothing he continues. "It's another kind of symbol. It helps to contradict the power of the demonic one that you mentioned. Drawn on the floor and the victim placed in the middle will make it seem like the mark has shrunk. It will help lessen the effects."

Dean speaks there. "What symbol?"

"I'll send you a picture of it. It is rather complicated to draw. Also, to give the best effect it should be drawn in while chalk. It will be hard to accomplish because if Sam moves around too much it will smudge and ruin it."

"Yea, I'll place something over it to protect it. Thanks so much, Bobby."

"Yea, bye Dean."

"Bye." He hangs up and holds the phone in his palm. _Ding. _Dean opens his mail and there is a message from Bobby. It's the picture of the symbol. _He's right. It will be hard for me to get the detail right._ "Be right back, Sam." He turns around. "And stay here this time."

Sam yells at him as he rushes out the door. "I don't plan on going anywhere, thanks."

Dean grins as he gets to the trunk. He opens it and grabs the box of white chalk from a bag. He runs back inside.

Sam tries to sit up but is really weak. _Must be the symbol. Damn..._

Dean clears a wide spot on the floor. _I need a way to cover it. Maybe drag the table over here, and put Sam on the table. _He puts the phone beside him on the floor and starts to draw the symbol. With all of his practice he drew a good circle to start and the rest took him over 45 minutes to finish.

Nothing much was said, except the occasional, "You have to stay awake, Sammy," for Sam was struggling not to fall right back to sleep, or to unconsciousness.

When he finishes, Dean drags the large table over the symbol, making sure not to smudge any of it. Then he goes the Sam to get him on the symbol. Sam looks like he asleep as Dean tries to lift him up. "Sammy? Come on, dude, wake up."

Sam responds with a grunt.

Dean knows he has to actually pick up Sam to get him on the table, so using all his strength he lifts his tall brother. Sam's head lolls from side to side as he is being carried. Dean gently places Sam on the table in the middle of the circle. With everything that had happened that morning, only about an hour and a half was left. Dean sets his watch for 90 minutes.

Dean starts to pace room. He didn't feel like he should keep Sam awake any longer so he allows his brother to slip to the dream world. _What now? I feel so helpless. I need to do something. I can't leave the room._

Then his phone rings for the third time that morning. "Hello?"

"Hey Dean, it's Bobby again."

"Anything new?" _Please, please._

"I'm sorry... No. I just wanted to see how he was doing."

_Damn._ "He's fine. He actually woke up a little while ago. He has fallen back to sleep though."

"That's a great sign. Sam has a lot of strength to fight this thing... Dean, He'll be fine."

_God I hope so_. "Yea, I know he will."

"Okay. Well, I just wanted to check in."

"Ok, see you... and Bobby?"

Bobby has a curious tone. "Yea?"

"Thanks."

"Anything for a Winchester."

They both hang up. Almost immediately the phone rings again. Dean is curious. _It's probably Bobby again. _He flips it open.

The other end of the line is a female voice. "Dean?"

_What the..._ "Who's this?"

"It's... uh... it's Missouri Mosely."

"Missouri, hi."

Missouri is quiet for a couple seconds. "Oh baby, I'm so sorry."

"For what?"

"I don't know how to help Sam. I can't find anything to help."

"Yea, that seems to be the answer from everyone." He smiles.

"Yea... well... I am really sorry, Dean."

"Thanks. See you."

"Yea, Bye Dean."

Once again the phone is clicked off.

There is a lot of pacing in that room, as it seems that Dean is determined to burn a hole in that carpet. He is actually lost in his own thoughts he doesn't realize how much time goes by. The next time he looks at his watch, another 30 minutes had gone by. _So that's it. Just one hour left, and I still have no solution._ He steps outside the room for no more than a couple minutes, hoping some fresh air would help clear his head.

For the whole of those few minutes he stares at his baby. His beautiful Impala. He starts thinking of all the times that car had taken him, Sam, and John home or to the hospital after some hunt._ Some were worse than others. I remember that poltergeist from Craig, Colorado. Damn thing threw a ski pole right at Sam's head. It then chucked a garbage bin at my head. Hey, was it hinting something? And there was that demon in Allendale, South Carolina. It pinned Sam to the floor and attempted to cut him up with a envelope opener before I hit the possessed bastard over the head._

_Man, those were the times when I actually distracted the things and got Sam out relatively safely. There was that shapeshifter from Ashland, Wisconsin. It impersonated a young female and got to little Sammy. She bound and gagged him. Cut him up pretty bad. By the time Dad kicked the shit out of her Sam was in bad shape. My baby quickly got us to the hospital. Oh, and that other poltergeist from Page, Arizona. It damn near drowned Sammy in the lake nearby. He stopped breathing and everything._

_This job has put him in danger so many times. I'm sure he can get through this. _He checks his watch._ Damn, that didn't take up near as much time as I was hoping. I don't want it to happen faster, but I can't stand this waiting._ He heads back inside. He sees Sam is awake again.

"Thought maybe you had left this time." Sam smiles slightly.

Dean frowns. "No." _Ok, that was blunt._

_Man, he is worried. It shows in his voice no matter how much he covers it up._

There is a lot of silence in the room after that. Another 20 minutes seem to fly by. Then another 30. Off and on during the entire time Sam fell asleep. One moment he was awake, then the next time Dean looked at him he was sleeping. He checks his watch. 10 minutes left. _Damn, time moves fast when waiting for death._

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**A/N3:** I know... I know people. It has been kind of mushy through these last chapters, especially for Dean. It was just appropriate for what Dean and Sam are going through. Hopefully it was still good.  
**A/N4:** I'm also sorry that not much happened in this one. It was mostly just a segue to what's to come. I didn't really know what to do with it. I actually wanted to stop half way through it, but it would have been too short so I kept going. Then I thought that I should put all the 'non-action' stuff in one chapter instead of dragging it on for two. So I made it longer and put all the boring stuff in this one.  
**A/N5:** A fifth one. Ok, I was just looking for random places on a map of the USA. And in Wisconsin there was a real place called Ashland. It reminded me of The Usual Suspects that I just had to use it. Lol. So yes all those place are real places. 


	9. Samael, Lilith, Adam, and Eve

**A/N:** Thanks again, people, for reading my story. I tried to update faster this time, so I hope you enjoy chapter 9.

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**Puppet  
Chapter 9: Samael, Lilith, Adam, and Eve**

With only 10 minutes left, and the fact that Sam was awake, Dean was starting to see outward signs that his brother was in pain. He was lying on the table tossing and turning and groaning alot. A couple of times Dean had to move him a little to make sure that he didn't fall off the table.

Finally after 5 more minutes of this he went to one side of the table at Sam's side and knelt down beside him. It wasn't his style, but Dean wanted to pray. He wanted to pray for so many things. Then he remembered how his mom had always prayed before she had put him to bed. _She always said angels were watching over me and Sammy. Well, where are they now? Huh? I want to know that? Why is Sammy always the one suffering?_ He didn't want to, but some part of him was blaming Mary for lying to him, for saying everything would be all right.

Dean's throat constricted. "Mom, I don't know what to do? Mom, I..." He was cut off quickly when the door behind him opened.

Dean jumped up, grabbing a gun that was close by. He pointed it at the figure standing in the light on the doorway. The figured looked dark against the light radiating from outside. Dean's eyes were blinded at first, then who realized who it was.

"Bobby?" _God, he looked like an angel. How stupid of me. _"What are you doing here?"

"I'm here to help. How is he?"

"Help how?" _What is getting at?_

"Well, when you first told me what had become of Sam, I started to drive out immediately. I had my laptop on the seat beside me and my phone in my lap."

"Uh." _Ok?_

"Well, just shortly after I got off the phone with you I got a call from a friend of mine. Do you have a syringe?"

"What?"

"A syringe."

Dean gets up. He grabs his first aid kit and grabs a syringe.

"The man's a great hunter. Anyway he told me he had a formula for this kind of thing." He takes the syringe and takes a vile, with a light blue liquid in it, out of his pocket. "He once had a friend go through the same thing, and he wanted to be prepared this time." Very carefully, with great precision, he pours the liquid into the syringe. "I actually had to turn around and drive 20 minutes in the other direction to get this." When he was done he put the end back on the syringe.

_Why the hell does he sound so calm? Sam is dying and he's moving at a snail's pace._

Bobby looks at Sam. "It looks like I got here just in time. Do you know how much more time he has?"

Dean just stares at Bobby incredulously.

Bobby yells. "Dean?"

Dean shakes his head and checks his watch. "According to approximate timing... he has 2 minutes left."

"Good."

"What do you mean 'good'? What are you going to do? How are you going to help him?"_ I am about to hit him._

"Dean calm down. I..."

"Bobby, I can't calm down." _I am going to start hyperventilating soon._

"Dean, don't worry, he'll be fine."

"You don't get it. If I calm down... I'm going to lose it." He sits on the bed, staring at Sam.

Bobby walks over to Sam's side. Dean speaks with a calmer voice this time. "So, what are you going to do with that?"

"Well when the time is right, I will stick this in his heart, and it will be injected. If I get the timing right, it should stop the effects of the symbol... so Sam doesn't... blow up."

"What time?"

"Well, it has to be injected when it is actually happening. But if this is actually going to stop it, it will have to be put in just when it starts. The thing is, the effects don't last very long... I hate waiting for it to actually start."

"Yea, it's hard. I've been doing it all morning."

"So Dean, how do you know it's 2 more minutes?"

Dean checks his watch. "One more minute now, and because that is when all the other people with this symbol have died."

"There were more." Bobby spoke is a quiet tone. It was more a sad comment to himself than to Dean. "How often does it happen?"

"Once a night. It only just started."

"But that..."

Then from beside Dean there is a grunt. Sam is tossing so hard now and is covered in a thick layer of sweat. Dean had already been by his side the entire time, but now Bobby comes forward to join him. "Dean, lift his shirt up."

"Yea." Dean quickly pulls the front part of Sam's shirt up to his chin. It reveals a smooth chest all covered in sweat.

"You will have to hold him still. I don't want him to move."

Dean nods his head this time. Bobby was closest to Sam's head, so Dean grabs both of Sam's upper arms and pushes down firmly with his own chest against Sam's. Sam's heart is still exposed. At that time Dean's watch beeps. Then there is a god-awful scream that Sam releases. It is a screech of such horror that Dean wants so bad to cover his ears with his hands, but he couldn't. He needs Sam to be still.

During the scream Bobby had stuck the needle into Sam's heart and was slowly releasing the light blue liquid into his brother's body.

_So, this is it. Now or never. Live or die... I hope Bobby is right._

All of the liquid was gone quickly, but the screaming didn't stop. Bobby steps away from Sam's body and puts the syringe on the bed beside him.

Dean releases his grip in Sam's arms, but now he has a grip on his brother's shoulders. "Sammy? Sammy, shh. You're ok, buddy... Bobby, what's wrong?"

"I don't know." Bobby confesses, shouting over Sam's screams.

Dean looks back at his brother. _He's dying. He's dying, and it's all my fault._ Sam stops screaming, but he also stops breathing. His chest was no longer moving.

Dean rests his head on Sam's warm, sweaty chest. He was looking for a heartbeat, but he was also hoping to feel close to his brother for a few more seconds before it really sunk in that it didn't work, that Sam was dead.

But what surprised Dean was the fact that there was a heartbeat. It was so faint, but it was steady. "Sammy?"

The whole time Bobby had been standing some distance away with a frown on his face. Now he walks over. He places a hand on Dean's shoulder. "Dean, he's..."

Dean shouts. "He's not dead!"

"Dean, I love..."

"No Bobby, there's a heartbeat. I felt it." Dean hovers his hand over Sam's mouth and under his nose. There was no air coming out. Dean pushes Bobby out of the way. He plugs Sam's nose and breathes some air into his lungs. He places his hands, one over the other, on Sam's chest and presses down 5 times, hard. He repeats this process 4 times before Bobby speaks. "Dean, I'm sure it was just that last couple of seconds before the heart stops completely. He..."

Dean starts on his 5th time, and Sam's body jumps to life, gasping for air. "Sammy!" Dean grabs his brothers shoulder's to reassure him that he is there.

Bobby jumps, seeing that Sam is alive. "Dean, lift his head so he can breathe better."

Dean does more than that. He pulls Sam up into an embrace. A gentle and subtle one.

Sam still didn't seem to be fully aware of his surroundings. He lets himself be pulled into the hug without any resistance.

Bobby has a small smile on his face. "I thought it had been too late. I guess I should know by now not to underestimate a Winchester. Your father is just as stubborn. He never stays down for long."

_Yea, that's my dad. He will always be around, but he's never here when we truly need him._ But, Dean was only half listening. He had let go of Sam and was now just holding up his shoulders. "Hey, say something bro."

Sam had long since calmed down, and his breathing was now steady. He had yet to open his eyes, though. The look on is face clearly showed that he was still feeling alot of pain. He had a clear scowl on his face.

Dean had a worried look on his own face. Bobby could really tell as he grabbed a pillow from the bed to put under Sam's head. Dean hides it and speaks. "So, what exactly was in the syringe?"

Bobby hid a smile and began to explain. "Joel, that friend of mine, actually made the stuff himself. I don't know how exactly, but he did. He wouldn't tell me what was in it except that there was some holy water in it. That would help against the demonic part of the symbol. So, I don't actually know what that stuff was."

"Oh, well, thank him for me when you see him again, will you?" I would love to thank him personally. "And thanks again Bobby." _Sam is going to live. I am so happy. He is going to be in pain for a little while after what happened, but I can deal with that. I can help him through that. I am just so glad he is going to live._

"Yea." After a short pause, Bobby continues. "I'm sorry to do this, but I have got to go."

Dean was startled. "Go? Where are you going to go?"

Bobby had a nervous look on his face all of a sudden. "I just have to go take care of something... Just... just protect Sam. Protect him and yourself, Dean."

_I always try. _"What are you going to do?"

Bobby was in a big rush. "I have to go." He turns to face Dean. "You two should leave town."

"But..."

There wasn't any aggression in Bobby's voice, but he had lots of worry in it. "Just take Sam and leave." And with that he was out the door.

_He sounds alot like Dad. _Dean follows him out the door. "Bobby, are you going to go after this creature?... Because Sam already killed it."

"That may be... but I have to check."

Dean shouts at Bobby as he walks farther away. "What could Sam have killed, then?"

Bobby shouts back from his truck. "A puppet." He starts the ignition of his beaten up forest green truck. He has a very angry look on his face as he drives out of the parking lot.

Dean was frantic. _Oh my god, that freak could still be alive? He could be out looking for Sam right now._ Dean shouts at Bobby extremely loudly. "Where are you going?"

And just before Bobby was out of site, he threw something out the window of his Ford.

_Was that another piece of paper?_ Dean peeks in through the door to the motel to check on Sam before he starts at a slow jog to the spot in which the paper had fallen. He grabs it, and unfolds the aging piece of paper. He looks at it. _It's a map. _He looks closer. _It's a map of Beryl. It shows the locations of where all those murderers killed there victims. Where did Bobby get that information? _He takes the map inside with him. He lays the map on his bed. He then goes over to Sam. Dean stares at him for a moment then picks up his heavy brother and carries him to the other bed, making him more comfortable. Dean goes back to the vacant table and decides to drag it over to Sam's side. _I want to be by his side when he wakes up._ He grabs a lone chair and the map and sits down to study it.

He starts by making the marks Bobby had made bigger and more distinct with a red marker. Then, for a long while, he just stares at it. _What the hell did he give me this for? What does it mean?_ "Where is he going?" He lifts the map hoping to see more. _Is it some sort of pattern? _

_He doesn't see it? He is so blind._ "It's the Sigil of Baphomet."

Dean's head whips around to face his brother, who is staring tiredly at the map. "How..."

"It's not very commonly used. Don't you remember when Dad told us about it, or are you getting too old to remember?" He looks at Dean. _Now, that was a good icebreaker._

Dean smiles. "Yea, well, you're just jealous that I'm older."

Sam rolls his eyes. "Yea, and wiser, too."

"Damn right." He smirks.

"Anyway..." Sam tries to push himself up with his elbows.

Dean half stands. "Whoa, where do you think you're going? You can't get up yet."

"I'm fine." But despite the confidence Sam had in his voice, he knew Dean is right. He is too weak and in too much pain to move yet. _I can't tell him, though. He would worry too much._ Sam lays down again.

"Good. Now what is this sigil thing? I mean, it's not like I've forgotten, I just want to see if you remember."

Sam shakes his head and then humors him. "The Sigil of Baphomet is the opposite of the pentagram, which we use more often. It is commonly drawn with a goat in the middle. It is an upside down pentagram with the goat's horns in the top two points, its ears out the side, and its chin and beard in the single bottom point. Written in the circle, around the goat head, are two names. Starting in the top left corner, SA-MA-EL, and in the bottom two slots, LIL-ITH. Samael and Lilith, are..."

Dean suddenly remembers what Sam is talking about. "Right, Samael was the name of a demonic force, and on the bottom there was the demon, Lilith. The Inverted Pentagram of Black Magic."

Sam continues. "Yea, you were probably looking for the opposite, the pentagram. In it is written AD-AM and E-V-E, which is Adam and Eve."

"Adam and Eve. Right. The Pentagram of Appolonius."

"Wow, I can't believe you remember the name of it."

Dean ignores the insult. "But how does that help us?"

"Help us with what?"

_That's right, he doesn't remember._ "Bobby was here just before you woke up. He saved your life. He injected something into your heart. But then he left in a big rush. He had a look on his face like he was nervous and anxious, like he wanted some sort of revenge."

"He saved me?"

"Before he left he threw this..." Dean holds up the map. "...out the window. I think he was telling me where he was going."

Sam snaps out of his awe. "Well the pentagram and the Sigil of Baphomet both traditionally have 10 points, the 5 outside ones and the 5 inside ones. I am guessing that the deaths here have created that pattern."

"Yea, the deaths complete 7 of the 10 points, the plane storage facility being the right point. That leaves the 3 other points. I guess we will just have to search them all. Another hopeless search."

"Oh, but that's your favourite part." Sam chuckles. He tries again to get up. _I have got to hide the pain. Dean is so good at it._

Dean is nervous about Sam moving so soon, but he doesn't say anything.

"I'm going with you." _I don't care what you say._

"I don't think..."

"Dean, I'm going. If Bobby needs help, I'm going." And to prove he is all right, Sam stands up and bears through the pain.

Dean smiles at Sam's enthusiasm. "Fine." _But I'll be watching. Any sign of you hurting and we are coming right back... God, he reminds me of... me... and my determination. That's my boy._

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**A/N2:** Hopefully I surprised you with Bobby coming to save the day. I like writing about Bobby. I can do alot more with him, so I hope to have him be more apart of the story.  
**A/N3:** Hey, this time I didn't have a really big cliffhanger. Yea, me. Please read and review to this chapter. I will get chapter 10 up soon. I don't know how long this story will be, but it shouldn't go on for much longer. 


	10. Only A Winchester

**A/N: **There is more swearing in this chapter than in the last, so please be careful if you are offended by it.  
**A/N2:** Sorry it took me so long to get this chapter. I had it done about a week ago, but I kept forgetting to post it, so here it is.

**

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**

**Puppet  
Chapter 10: Only A Winchester**

Sam seems like he is limping as they both make their way to the car. Dean wants so bad to go over to his brother and help him, but he knows Sam would resist, so he stays away. But they do get to the car and are soon driving out to the first of 3 houses that Bobby could have possibly gone to.

"So, which one are we going to first?" Sam was looking at the map.

"Umm, the closest one on the left."

Sam takes his gaze away from the map. "Why there?"

"We have got to start somewhere. There seems like the best place to start as any. Besides, it's the closest and I really don't feel like driving around." _Duh._ Dean sighs.

Sam nods and folds the map. _Makes sense._ Neither Sam nor Dean has anything to say at the moment. It is slightly uncomfortable between them.

But soon enough, the brothers reach the house. They were both anxious to get this done with and kill the real son of a bitch, so they park the car across the street and get out. They get to the trunk and load up on some things that they think they may need. _Wow, he's is doing great at hiding that pain. I know he is feeling it full-force right now._ Dean packs a 9mm, a silver knife, and a bottle of holy water, while Sam grabs his favourite knife, a small container of salt, a bar of pure iron, and a .45 gun of his own. As a second thought, Dean grabs a small knife and puts it in his left boot.

Sam slams the trunk.

Dean doesn't have a second thought about it though, because he is just as angry as Sam was. Both brothers want this thing killed. Dean is thinking. _This doesn't feel right. The situation seems too normal. I wonder if Sam is feeling this. Don't get too gung-ho there, kiddo._

They reach the door, and Dean leans against the outer doorframe with the gun in his hand behind his back. Sam is standing right in front of the door, shifting from foot to foot. He looks at Dean. His brother nods his head as his permission to proceed. Sam is curious though. _Why would Bobby come here? _He knocks with the door handle.

There are no sounds inside the house. This raises both hunters' senses. Then there is a scratching sound on the other side of the door. They can both hear the door being unlocked. Sam backs up a small bit, and Dean steps forward to stand more in the doorway. The door opens to reveal a young, brown-haired female.

The woman's voice was small and shy. "Yes?"

"Uh, umm." Sam hadn't expected this, and he doesn't know what to say.

For some reason Dean had anticipated this though, so he takes the lead from Sam and confronts the woman. "Good morning, ma'am. We are looking for someone. We thought he might be here. His name is Bobby?" _That was the best I could come up with on such short notice. _He hides the gun in is pant waist.

"Well, I'm sorry sir, there is no one here by that name."

Dean had to make sure. "Are you sure? He might go by the name Robert, or just plain old Bob. He is about my height, maybe shorter."

The woman backed off a little. "No, I'm sorry I've never heard of him. I..." She starts to get scared because they won't leave.

Sam speaks up in an angrier tone than he intended. "Look, we really need to find him. Are you sure you haven't seen him?"

Dean looks at Sam.

"I said no. Now, I have to go. I have lots of things to do today."

Sam tried again with a gentler tone this time. "Ma'am..."

Then from behind the boys, a male voice speaks up. "Meredith, is there a problem?"

Sam and Dean both turn around to face this voice. The man standing before them is a tall, broad-shouldered man. The brothers know he could put up a fight if he really wants to. Dean steps forward in front of Sam. "No, we were just leaving. Come on, Sam. Good day ma'am. Sorry to bother you." And with that they walked off the doorstep to the car. They bother get in it without a word and drive off.

In the rear-view mirror Dean sees the man go over to talk to the woman, Meredith. She looks like she is on the verge of tears. Dean felt bad, but he kept going. _Good job there, slick. Let's scare the girl to get the non-existent information. I think I should take the lead more often._

Sam was the first one to speak. "Well, I saw that going differently in my mind." _Not what I expected at all._

Dean glances at Sam before looking back to the road. "Yea." _You think?_

Sam speaks up. "I mean, I really thought that Bobby was going to be there that I didn't even think of any other scenarios that could have possibly happened." _Damn, I let my anger take control._

"Yea, I thought of the alternative and was thinking up things to say as I went along." _It wasn't the greatest lie either._

"Good thing you did because I..."

Dean interjects. "You looked like a dork standing there on that poor woman's doorstep with your mouth hanging open like that." Dean gives Sam a small smile.

"Well, you're my hero. You saved me from the evil fate of embarrassment." _Jerk._ Sam shakes his head.

"Anytime." _Bitch._

Sam's smile fades. "Hey, Dean."

_What now?_ Dean glances at Sam again.

"Why would Bobby be there? I never actually asked why Bobby would be in trouble." He looks at Dean, waiting for the answer. "Dean?" _Something is up. Maybe I shouldn't have asked._

"He... uh... Sam, he is going after the Puppet Master." _Vague, very vague._

"The Puppet Master? What is it? Wait, I killed her already." _This is bad. I shouldn't ask, but I have to. I have to know._

Dean remains silent. _Please, don't ask, man._

"Dean, who did I kill?"

Dean clearly doesn't want to tell Sam whom he really killed. "Uh... Bobby said it may have been a puppet." _Great, let's make him feel worse._

Sam looks forward at the road trying to think of something to say to that. "A puppet? I killed a puppet?... You mean I killed an innocent woman." It isn't a question. _I try to protect Dean and look what happens._

"She was evil, Sammy. You had to." _I need to convince him._

"Yea, but she was innocent. She was just being controlled, right. Which means I killed a human." _Damn it._

Dean's voice was rigid. "Like I said, you had to." _Get that through your thick skull... please._

"We could have found a way to save her." I should have saved her.

"Sam, if she was being controlled like all the other murderers, then she would have died the next day anyway... Right?" He stares at Sam. "Right?"

"I guess. Doesn't make the guilty feeling go away, though."

Dean voice softens. "It never does." _I wish I could help you with that. It is something you are going to have to deal with on your own._

They were silent for a moment. Sam breaks the silence again. "So, how do you know it is a Puppet Master?"

Dean scoffs then smiles. "Dude, I know everything." _Uh..._

Sam raises his eyebrows in response. _Oh really?_

_No, the puppy dog eyes. No..._ Dean shakes his head. "I didn't know what else to call it." _Those damn puppy dog eyes._

Sam chuckles. "Yea."_ I always get my way._ There is a pause. "So, how do we kill it then?"_ I want to kill it so bad._

"Honesty, I don't even know what 'it' is, so I have no idea." _I want to kill it just as much you do, kiddo._

"Great. So, this is another shoot first, ask questions later, hunt?"

"Pretty much."

Sam stares right ahead, and speaks in a sarcastic tone. "Awesome."

The drive to the next house only lasts a couple of minutes. It was one of the center points on the Sigil of Baphomet. This time, Dean parks his car across the street around the block, and they both exit the car. Neither of them had stopped to unload all their supplies at that last house, so both are fully prepared. In his mind Sam and Dean are both thinking of different situations.

Sam is laughing at himself on this inside._ I won't get caught in that situation, again, and let Dean have another chance to bug me later._

As they are walking up the quiet sidewalk to the next little white house Dean speaks. "Hey Sam."

Sam glances at Dean. "Yea?"

Dean's face is emotionless. "I bet with our luck, it will be the last house we check that this evil son of a bitch, and Bobby, will be at, ." He breaks out into a smile. _It always happens that way._

Sam laughs. "You're probably right."

With that said, both Sam and Dean relax a little bit. They finally reach the front door. Not wanting to prolong it too much Sam knocks. Silence is passed between them.

But this time neither brother hears anything inside the house. They wait a moment, and Dean knocks again. Again, they wait. Still more silence. They have to check the house out though, so out of his pocket Dean pulls out his lock-picking kit.

He switches places with Sam, so he could reach the lock. "Clear?"

"No." Sam is turned around looking at a man who is turning the corner of the block. A couple more steps and he is gone. "Clear."

Dean bends down and starts the process of unlocking the door. After only a couple seconds there is the sound of a soft click. Dean stands up, putting his lock-picking kit away. Sam checks the streets one more time thoroughly and leads the way into the house. They keep quiet just in case someone was still in the house, just sleeping or something. They silently move around the house from room to room. Part of the way, they split up to make the search a little bit faster.

When Sam is out of site, Dean shows his disapproval. He has a scowl on his face. _Man, how can anyone live in this house. I mean, it's just so damn neat and tidy. There is no mess anywhere. OCD much? Sam must just love it here. This is so just a house, not a home... but of course I don't know what a home really is. _He walks through the living room when he meets up with Sam again. "Anything?"

"No nothing. It's so empty." Sam looks around. _Damn, not here... For once._

Dean frowns. "Yea, probably because of the lack of mess in here. Who could live in this?"

Sam looks at his brother. "Dean, unlike you, some people don't like to live in their own filth." He makes a disgusted face. _Yea, you seriously need a shower, dude._

Dean talks in an offended tone. "I clean up after myself."_ I am so not messy._

Sam raises his eyebrows. "Yea, like that week old burger I found in the back seat of the car, or that god knows how old piece of sweet and sour chicken I found wrapped up in your bath towel. Oh yea, Dean. You clean up." _Oh yea, and that sock stuffed in a research book... And that awful smelling pair of boxers in the gun bag._

"Well, I mean... uh... I mean you're not the cleanest person in the world, either." _Take that._

Sam speaks in an amused tone. "Yea. Like when?" _I'd like to see you try and think of something._

Dean's eyes are dancing around the room looking for something to say. "Uh... Ok, well I'm sure I can think of something." _Ugh, I got nothing._

Sam gives Dean a grin. Dean looks down in defeat. _How can he be right? I'm older._

Sam, then, leads the way out of the house. Dean shuts the door behind him. "Well, I guess I was right. They are in the last house we check." He smiles. _This is one of those times I don't want to be right._

They both round the corner of the block. There standing in front of their car is Bobby. "I guess, you are wrong again." _Bobby?_

Dean steps a few steps in front of Sam and talks to Bobby. "Hey, Bobby. What are you doing here?" _Something is wrong._

Bobby has a blank stare on his face, and he gives them no response. As the boys approach him, they see that his eyes are blank. Dean stops dead in his tracks, while Sam walks right past him to Bobby. "Hey, Bobby, talk to me." _Damn it, I know what's going on._

"You won't get through to him that way. I control him, now." It was a man speaking from behind both the boys.

Dean turns around first and sees him. "You?" _I thought he was harmless._

Sam reacts to Dean's surprise and also turns around. "You're the guy from the..."

The man has an awful grin on his face. "The parking lot at the hospital. Yes. Glad you guys remember me." The man's eyes are looking at the boys, searching them, observing them, checking them out. "You guys also survived my puppet's attacks, and not to worse for wear. Impressive. But my grip on her is gone, which means one of you killed her. Don't you realize she was just a human?"

Sam walks forward, fully intent on hurting him._ How dare you. She was harmless, and you had to use her to get to us. I'll kill you._

Dean swings his right arm out to stop his outraged brother. Dean speaks for his brother. "How could she have been your puppet? She seemed quite normal." _How?_

"Oh, she was one of the unlucky bitches that actually wanted to be controlled. She hated her life, and she wanted me to help her. Also, I did promise her some things, you know, just to be safe. When someone joins me willingly they are normal. I don't need to revert to such strong measures to control them." The man takes a few steps forward, as does Bobby behind the boys.

_Damn, what can we do? I can't hurt Bobby, and we don't yet know how to kill this son of a bitch. Sam is also likely to do something rash. Damn again. _"So what are you going to do with us?"

Sam has calmed down a little, and now, he finally speaks. "Let Bobby go." _We can't fight him._

Then from around the block comes the man who was walking before. The man from the parking lot looks at him and puts his pointer finger to his lips as a way to say be quiet. The man then turns around and waves his hand to get the boys to follow him. Bobby walks behind them all, everyone once in a while giving the boys a push to keep them going. They all finally reach the house that the boys had searched not moments before. The young man opens the door and motions for everyone to follow him. Once inside Bobby closes the door and locks the door.

The young man responds to Sam. "Sorry, I can't. I need you boys dead. I need a little leverage, that's why I have Bobby, so you boys don't try anything stupid." His grin widens.

Dean glowers at this young man. "Why didn't you kill us when you saw us at the parking lot?" _A simple hit and run._

The man frowns at his bit of bad luck there. "I tried to get you out of there, so I could kill you in a not so open place. I was trying to take your spot, to get you to leave the hospital. But that red car left, and I didn't want you two on my trail, so I had to let you go in. You guys have been meddling ever since." The man grins from ear to ear. "But now I do have the opportunity to kill you, so it's all good. This will be fun." The man starts to chuckle.

Sam and Dean look at each other and both put on a frown of disapproval. _Well, thank you red car. Though, it wasn't the most stylish car._

The man ignores this. "So, let's see what you boys are really made of. Of course I came prepared. Bobby, here..." He nods his head to Bobby. "...will be filling in for Sammy."

Dean barks at the man. "Don't call him that." _Bastard, only I can call him that. _

The man once again ignores his remark. "Now, I know that this time it is kind of tight quarters, so it might not warrant a good fight, but let's face it. If I tried to get you back to the plane storage facility you guys wouldn't have co-operate for long enough. I mean, you boys are Winchesters. Stubborn and loyal. You won't listen to reason when I say that if you try anything Bobby will die, but you also won't let your friend die. I am sure you guys owe him a favour or two. He must have saved you asses a couple of times, and you guys always repay your debts.

The boys are both speechless. There is nothing to say at this time._ But he has saved our asses more than a couple of times. Of course we won't let him die._

The man continues grinning. "Well, look at me rambling on when there is a fight to get on and a bad family to eliminate. As a news flash, once I am done with you two I will scour the globe, to find your father, if I have to. That's not a threat, it's a promise."

Up to this point Bobby had been standing like a statue in front of the door. Now, the puppet master waves his hand and Bobby jumps to life. He swings the knife at the boys. The boys duck down and get to the other side of that room leading into the dining room. Dean is thinking furiously. _Damn, where did the knife come from? This is bad._ Dean looks at his brother. He gives Sam a look. _Sam, what the hell do we do?_

Sam looks back at him and, silently, he answers. _I don't know._

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**A/N3:** So, Bobby has turned on the boys. I hope I left you guessing what the boys will do. Also, sorry if this chapter was also kind of boring, but there is a fight scene coming up next. Please read and review. And thanks to everyone who has been reading my story and reviewing. I love you all. 


	11. Get Ready To Rumble

**A/N: **Ok, hit me, beat me, I am so sorry this chapter took me so long. A whole month?? I suck. Lol. I had so many issues with the fight scene. So, I apologize, and today I hope to get a good head start on Chapter 12.  
**A/N2:** There is mild swearing in this chapter. You have been warned.

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**Puppet  
Chapter 11: Get Ready To Rumble**

Bobby doesn't seem to be too enthusiastic. He walks towards the boys, knife hanging by his side, tightly gripped in his hand. Dean nudges Sam and walks around to the other side of Bobby._ Dean, you better have a plan._ Sam stays where he is, backed in a corner. Bobby turns around and faces Dean. _Of course I have a plan. I just need to think of what that plan might be._

Bobby stays still for a moment, seeming to decide whether to go after the older brother or the younger. Dean makes the choice for him, though. _Don't go near my brother._ Dean jumps onto the sofa's arm and uses that as a height advantage. He uses it immediately and lunges at Bobby. It was a head on collision, and Sam barely rolls out of the way in time. Both older men fall to the ground in a great tumble, Dean on top of Bobby. Bobby applies a swift upward kick to Dean's head, which stuns him for a moment giving Bobby the chance to get up from under Dean. His head starts slowly dripping with blood. _Son of a bitch._ This time Bobby was quick with his decision making.

He stood up and quickly took pursuit of the younger brother. Sam stood his ground until the opportune moment when he grabs the 5 foot lamp and uses it as a harmless weapon. _Dean, a little help over here._ Of course, Sam didn't want to hurt him, just somehow stop him from killing either Dean or himself. The cord of the lamp stops him from moving very far, but it didn't matter.

Dean has gotten up and once again pounces on Bobby's back. _Stay away from him._ Bobby stays standing for a short while, then they both once again come crashing to the ground.

There had been silence in the room, until the Puppet Master speaks. "This is very entertaining. Better than the last fight, I'll give you that. Last time, Dean, you just didn't make an effort to stop you brother. You seem more determined this time." The man chuckles to himself as Sam is thrown across the room and has a soft landing on the recliner.

Dean heard all of what the Puppet Master had just said and is about to make a snide comment when he realizes something. "Wait, how do you know how the fight went down last time? You weren't there." He ducks another one of Bobby's swings with the knife. Sam stands up to assist his brother.

The man steps forward off of his leaning post. "Oh, but I was. Don't you remember? I stepped on a stick outside, and I thought you had caught me. Thankfully you didn't look too much into it."

Dean raises his eyebrows. "Wait, that sound in the facility... that was you?" _Damn, I knew I should have listened to my instincts and gone after that noise. I could have ended it then and there. It's all my fault._ Guilt is written on Dean's face.

Sam can see the guilt._ Dean, don't blame yourself. You couldn't have stopped him alone. Don't play the blame game. _

"Yep. You didn't really think I would miss the chance to see the Winchester dead, did you?" The man then shakes his head in a sad manner. "Sadly, it just didn't work out that way." The man is just standing there, as if taunting Dean to come after him.

Dean takes the taunt immediately and avoids Bobby's recent attack and lunges at the Puppet Master. _You hurt Sam._ The Puppet Master doesn't seem too concerned. He backs away slowly. Then it almost seems like in mid-air Bobby grabs Dean jacket and yanks him back to the ground before he can get to the Puppet Master. This time it is only Dean who is stunned, which gives Bobby the chance to finally do some damage. Right in front of the Puppet Master, Bobby pulls his unused knife out and cuts Dean across the chest. This pulls Dean back to reality, but not before Sam grabs Bobby's hand, as he is going for the second cut, and throws him off of Dean. _Bobby, get a hold of yourself. We need your help._

Bobby swings around and knees Sam in the gut. Sam falls to the ground. The pain from earlier that morning comes rushing back to him. He is unable to move. _God, it hurts. It hurts all over._

Dean is slowly getting up. He clutches his chest with one hand and holds onto the dining room table with the other to steady himself. "Sam?" _What's wrong, bro?_

A grunt was all the response he got. Dean pulls him gaze from the Puppet Master and looks over in Sam's general direction. He sees Bobby leaning over his brother, knife is raised high in the air.

"Hey." _Oh crap._ Dean tries to stand too fast and almost falls. He had lost more blood from the cut than he thought. _I'm getting dizzy... Come on, Dean. You've taken more than this before. _He grabs onto the wooden rocking chair in the corner to steady himself again. Then with his left hand he grabs the arm of the rocking chair and whips it at Bobby's back as he was just about to stab into Sam's still body. _He's not moving. Why isn't he moving._

Bobby stops what he is doing, but barely flinches as the chair breaks into many pieces around him. This gives Sam the chance to get away. He rolls right, out from under Bobby, then does a jump landing on his feet before running to where Dean is leaning against a wall._ Damn it, Sam. Don't scare me like that._ Sam almost collapses as he reaches his brother. Dean jumps to his side and breaks his fall. "Hey, Sammy, what's up?" _He really is in a lot of pain._

Sam groans louder. "Oh, ugh, it hurts." Sam has his eyes closed. _Dean, I can barely move right now. I feel so weak._

Dean looks up. Bobby is walking menacingly towards them. "Look, Sammy, uh, you are going to have to stand, alright buddy?" He pushes Sam up into a standing position. _I know it hurts, but I need you to atleast be able to protect yourself._ "Come on, Sasquatch." He makes sure Sam is standing all right before facing Bobby and pulling out the bar of iron from Sam's jacket. He waves it at Bobby.

Sam widens his eyes. "Dean, what the hell are you doing?" _Dean?_

From behind Dean, Sam can hear the uncertainty in his voice. "Uh, I'll think of something." _Plan, a plan would be great right now._ Dean advances on Bobby, bar held outward in two hands.

Bobby slowly comes towards Dean, not even seeming to notice the small weapon in his rival's hands.

The Puppet Master laughs from the sidelines. "What could you possibly be doing with that? That isn't going to save you. You can't kill him with that."

Dean gives a very snide reply. "Would you shut up over there? Do you ever quit talking?" _Just shut up and let me think._ Dean swings the iron bar at Bobby's side, he jumps out of the way and thrusts the knife at Dean's head, Dean rolls away from it and lands in front of the couch.

The Puppet Master scowls at Dean's remark. "I wouldn't be so mean to me if I were you. I was going to kill you and your little brother, Sammy, quickly and relatively painlessly, but if you keep it up I might change my mind." He glances at Sam who is still leaning against the wall, his hands clutched around his stomach. "But then again I'm not you am I?"

_And yet, you keep talking._ Dean jumps on the couch, trying to get to the Puppet Master another time. _You aren't going near my brother, again._ Once again the young man backs up just as Bobby rushes around the couch and hits Dean with the butt of the knife and slicing a deep cut into Dean's leg. _Crap._ Dean falls to the ground with a loud thud, which allows Bobby the chance to grab Dean by the collar and fling him over into the living room again. Dean lands hard against the wall. His leg was bleeding quite hard now. Sam tries to hobble towards his brother lying on the ground. Bobby stops him, though.

"Dean!" _God, be ok. Stop trying to protect me, and take care of yourself._ Sam is standing in ready position, hoping Bobby won't attack. He was wrong. Bobby lunges at him from the side, cutting his thigh on the way. Then, in a second swift movement, Bobby turns and cuts into Sam's back. Sam collapses onto his hands and knees. "Ugh." _I need to get to Dean. I need to see if he's all right._

Dean had started to move and now was slowly trying to stand. He had witnessed what happened, and he was pissed. "Hey, Bobby. Come and get me." _Sorry, Sammy. It's my job to protect you, and I will do that to the end._

Bobby looks at Dean, taking his eyes off his newest prey. Dean walks to the couch and picks up the iron bar that he had dropped. Bobby steps over Sam's crouching body. _Plan!_ Dean then throws the bar the Bobby's stomach. He misses, but instead from behind Bobby, Sam catches it. He doesn't hesitate. Sam hits Bobby hard in the back of the knees, which causes him to collapse. He then tosses the bar back to Dean, who catches it and stands up. _Awesome. I didn't even notice Sam look at me. I think he can read my mind._

The young Puppet Master is standing just outside of the living room. "So, what are you going to do Dean? You won't kill him."

Dean just turns his head enough to have a good view of both the Puppet Master and Bobby. Dean smirks. "Oh, I don't need to kill him. Let's see how you control a limp body." _I hate this guy._ And with that Dean whirls around.

The Puppet Master frowns. He is worried and stands a little straighter.

Dean smiles. "Watch." _Hopefully this works._ Once again, he faces Bobby and pulls the bar of iron behind his head. Then, he swings it. The way he swung it made it seem like he put a lot of force into it, but really he just put enough force into it to knock Bobby out. _Sorry, Bobby. I really am._

Bobby was on his knees when he is hit first. Now, he is laying on the ground unconscious.

The Puppet Master stands as stiff as a board. "No! Damn you. Damn you to hell." Then, he takes off out the door, slamming it behind him. Without a word, Dean was after him. Dean could tell that the creature in front of him was running on blind fury. _Why do they always run?_

Sam watches Dean leave and then slowly and cautiously crawls over to Bobby's body. He checks for his friend's pulse. He could feel a steady beat. _Good. Dean didn't hit him as hard as I thought._ Then, he has a thought. He slowly raises Bobby's sleeve. _Please, don't be there._ He then releases the breath he was holding. There was no mark. He quickly checks the other arm as an after thought just in case. _Thank god._

Dean was booking it down the street, struggling to catch up to the creature, his arm is clutched tightly around the cut on his stomach. _That cut was deep._ His leg is also hurting like hell, and he has an obvious limp. _I can't catch him like this, but I have to._ This is slowing him down; he is tired. He keeps running after him, though. He wasn't going to let the guy who hurt Sam get away. _He'll pay._ _How dare he toy with Sam like that._ But he was far from catching him. He eventually slows down too much to even count as running. Then the Puppet Master turns a corner far ahead of Dean and was out of site. Dean gets there and turns that corner, and there is no sign of him. He jogs a couple more blocks hoping to catch a glimpse of where he could have a disappeared to, g_od, I always hated hide and seek_, but there is nothing. He turns around and heads back the way he came, back to the house.

He arrives just in time to see Sam trying to drag Bobby's dead weight out of the house. Dean could see his brother was clearly in pain. _Dude, you should have waited for me._ He rushes to Sam's side and takes some of the weight. Sam gladly takes the help. They both hand one of Bobby's shoulders, dragging him behind them. They pull him along the sidewalk towards the car. _Who knew an old guy could weigh so much._

Sam is huffing hard, still being in pain.

Dean's breathing is also rapid. "Sam, what are we doing with him?" He didn't even look up.

Sam gasps through breaths. "I don't know. We couldn't just leave him there, though." Dean says nothing. Sam is slowing down. "What do we do now?"

Dean responds to that. "I'm not sure. We don't know where that son of a bitch could have gone, so we don't know where to go." _He can run. Damn, can he run._

Sam groans. "Yea."

The boys are at the car by now. They slip Bobby into the back seat and as an after thought, Dean goes to the trunk. Sam watches Dean pull out a roll of duct tape. Sam raises his eyebrows.

Dean answers that in an obvious tone. "Well, he could be controlled still." _Better to be safe than sorry._

Sam remains still. _And what if he's not? We're going to duct tape a friend?_

Dean walks towards him. "If he is still controlled, you can be the one to fight him of this time, ok? I'll sit back and relax."

Sam sighs. "Fine." _He has a point. For once he is right._ He helps Dean bind Bobby's wrists and ankles, not too tight, but not loose enough to get away. They each shut a back door. But Sam makes no attempt to get into the front seat.

Dean sees Sam standing still. "Sammy, you all right?" _It must really hurt._

Sam clears his head. "I'm fine." He then looks at Dean's worried face. "It just hurts. But, I'm ok, promise." _Dean, it hurts, but I don't think you can help even if you want to._ Then to break the awkward silence, Sam climbs into the car.

Dean stares at where Sam was just standing. _I want to help you, bro, but you have to let me. _Then he climbs in the driver's seat.

* * *

**A/N3:** I am not the greatest at fight scenes. Actually I think I suck at them, but hopefully you still enjoyed the chapter. Hopefully you also liked evil Bobby. Hee hee. Thanks for reading it. Please leave me a little comment. There's more to come. 


	12. History's Mystery

**A/N:** Thanks alot people for the positive comments on my last chapter and fight scene. They really helped me and encouraged me.  
**A/N2:** I can't believe I actually wrote this chapter in about 3 hours. That is a record for me. Normally it's about a week. Though, I did post it a week later. I wanted to make sure people read my last chapter, because I realize some of mine are really long. I am usually pretty quick at writing emotional scenes, though. Anyway, please read it. Thanks.

* * *

**Puppet:  
Chapter 12: History's Mystery**

The boys have been silent on the drive back to the motel. They didn't really know what to say. Dean knew that Sam didn't want to talk about the pain he is feeling, but he also feels like it could be getting worse. Sam isn't even in the mood to think. He is really in too much pain to do much of anything.

The silence is finally broken when Bobby moves in the back seat.

Dean looks in the rear view mirror. "Hey, Bobby. How are you feeling?" He has a look of contemplation.

Bobby rolls around in the back seat for a moment or two before answering. "Boys, please tell me I had a bad dream."

Dean looks at Sam. Sam looks back. _Fine, I'll look._ Sam turns all the way around and looks directly into Bobby's eyes. Immediately he could tell that his eyes don't have that same tinge of evil in them. Bobby looks like he finally has some emotion in his eyes, again.

Bobby doesn't look away. "Sam? Dean?"

Sam speaks in a soft quiet tone. "Bobby, are you all right? Do you remember what happened?"

Then Bobby looks down at his wrists and sees them tied up. He struggles against the bonds. Quickly, he realizes that his legs are also bound.

Sam looks saddened. _Please, don't say he is still being controlled._ "Bobby?"

Bobby stops struggling and looks at Sam. His eyes then glance at Dean. He sees Dean's head is bleeding. Dean can feel Bobby looking at the wound on his head.

"It wasn't a dream, was it?" By the look on Sam's face Bobby knows he is right. "That son of a bitch. How dare he. I'm going to kill him." Bobby's tone has slowly risen to the point of yelling. Both Dean and Sam are stunned at the enthusiasm and anger in their friend.

"I'm sorry boys. That demon is one powerful bastard. I didn't fight it hard enough."

Sam's tone is totally sympathetic. "Bobby, it's ok. I know how you feel." _It's a pain in the ass, and it hurts to fight it. _Dean looks at Sam, worried. He speaks to Bobby. "It wasn't your fault. We're ok. Your ok."

Bobby's voice is quiet now. "Yea, only because you two fools refused to just kill me. I hurt you boys bad in there."

Dean jumps in with a cocky tone. "We're fine, Bobby. Besides, we couldn't kill an old goat like you. Who would help us with our homework." Dean smiles. _We always go to you for help. You are irreplaceable._

Bobby frowns. "Hey, watch what you say." Then he too breaks into a smile.

Sam turns around and from his jacket he pulls out his curved knife. _That's Bobby._ He turns and faces Bobby. Bobby holds up his hands and with one swift cut, Sam slices the tape. Bobby pulls it off the rest of the way and takes the knife from Sam's hands. He cuts the tape around his ankles and gets himself in a comfortable sitting position in the back. He hands the knife back to Sam, who puts it back in his coat.

Dean asks Bobby a question. "So, this thing, it's a demon?"

Bobby looks at Dean through the rear view mirror. "Yea, it is one of the more powerful demons out there. Actually only a few of them have ever been reported by other hunters."

Dean smiles. "So, they are going extinct." _Suckers._

Bobby frowns at that. Dean stops smiling. "Yea, but not fast enough. These things are tricky, and devilishly powerful. Now, they don't have power like normal demons do. Their only power is really to control people. But, they can do it by simply looking you straight in the eye."

Dean scrunches his face. "But I looked at the freak many times. How come I haven't gone all living dead."

Sam speaks there. "You will know when you are getting controlled. You feel like you can't really move for a moment and it actually really hurts."

Dean looks at Sam.

Sam looks back at Dean. He can't take it anymore. "Dean, stop it. You couldn't have stopped it. If you had of tried I'm sure I would have killed you. You couldn't have done anything. So, stop blaming yourself."

Dean can't think of anything to say to that_. He has a point. But it doesn't help the guilt._ Dean just looks straight ahead, not wanting Sam to read him some more.

Bobby can see Dean's face. "Dean, Sam is right. You couldn't have stopped it. The possession is really quick, and Sam would have been after you sooner if you had of noticed. Sam's right, stop blaming yourself. That isn't getting us anywhere."

There was once again an awkward silence. After a few minutes Sam couldn't take it anymore. He directs his attention to Bobby, "So, how do we kill the thing?"

Bobby thinks for a minute, trying to remember what his friend, Joel, had told him. "Well, because it is a demon with a body, it doesn't need to possess people to survive. So, technically he is alive. So, a gun or knife might work. But I also think that because the demon still has powers is might take something special to kill it, but I can't recall. Do either of you have your cell. Mine is still in my truck… wait my truck. Where did that bastard take my truck? Son of a…"

Sam stops him. "Yea, I have mine right here." _Glad we got rid of that ugly ass thing._

Bobby stops fuming and takes the phone. He thinks for a second trying to remember his friend's number then he dials it in. After a couple rings a man answers. "Hey, Joel. Yea it's me Bobby."

Sam's phone was loud enough for Sam to hear the conversation, while Dean concentrated on the road.

"Oh, hey Bobby. What can I do for you? Is your friend over there ok?"

Bobby nods. "Yea, he's ok thanks to you. But we have another problem."

"Yea, ok what can I do for you?"

"We need to know how to kill this demon?"

The other man actually has a tone of wonder. "Bobby, I thought you knew? I thought you did the research on them because of what happened to you?"

Sam raises his eyebrows. He is completely worried about his friend, now.

Bobby chuckles. "Yea, I was mostly focused on revenge at the time that I didn't even think to look up a way to kill it. I just wanted to find it." Bobby turns his head away from Sam, trying to avoid his staring.

"Yea, sounds like you. Umm, hold on, I know I have a book on the things here somewhere." Some scratching can be heard in the background as Joel looks for the book.

Bobby interrupts his searching. "Do you want me to call back in a bit?"

Then there is an "Uh huh" on the other end of the line. "Found it."

Bobby raises his eyebrows now. "That was fast."

Joel answers his surprise. "Yea it was still on the top of the pile from when you were here looking them up."

Bobby chuckles again. "So, what does it say?"

Joel sighs. "Hold your horses. You're so impatient." There is the sound of pages flipping quickly as Joel looks through the book in search of what his friend is asking. Joel then starts muttering to himself. "How to fight, where to look… Blah blah blah. What to avoid… eye contact…hmm."

Bobby rolls his eyes. "Back on topic, Joel."

Joel stops reading. "Uh, right. Hold on, here it is."

"Yea?"

"Ok, well the first part says, 'When getting into a one on one confrontation with Akem Manah, never look it straight in the eyes. A simple solution' and almost pathetic solution in my opinion 'is to wear sunglasses'."

Bobby's voice in questioning. "Sunglasses?"

Dean hears this, and he raises his eyebrows.

Joel chuckles on the other end of the line. "Yea, sunglasses. Imagine a new age thing like that helping defeat an old demon like this."

Bobby stops him. "Joel, you're getting off topic again."

"Right, right, hold on. It is immune to rituals, exorcisms. It can be killed by tool of man. More of that, useless, no, no."

Bobby was getting impatient again. "Joel."

"Yea, yea, I got it. Umm, it says it's powerful, no guns or knives…"

Bobby is stunned. "Then how do we kill it?" His tone was getting angrier and angrier.

Joel sighs again. "Well, as quoted here, 'He is easily defeated by his own weapon of deceit being turned against him."

Bobby quiets down. "What the hell does that mean?"

Joel shakes his head. "Honestly I don't know. It doesn't actually say the exact way to kill it. That's all it says on the bastard. I'm sorry Bobby."

Bobby's blood is boiling, but he keeps his cool. "Thanks a lot, Joel. Call me if you find more?"

"Anything I can do to help."

"Thanks."

"Yep." And a little click is heard as the phone is turned of.

Bobby turns off Sam's cell and hands it back to him. "Thanks, Sam."

Sam takes the phone and slips it into his pocket. "Yea."

Dean asks a question first. "So, what did he say, Bobby? The only part I really understood…" _Though, it makes no sense_, "…was we have to use sunglasses."

"Yea, apparently we have to wear sunglasses to avoid being controlled by it."

Dean nods. "Yea, makes sense." _Now…doesn't make it any less funny. _"Did he tell you how to kill it?"

Bobby shakes his head. "There wasn't any distinct way to kill it. We can't use exorcisms or knives or guns. They are all useless."

Dean shakes his head also. "Damn, the bastard is powerful."

"Yea."

Dean is getting worried now. "Did he tell you anything that could help?"

Bobby looks at Dean through the mirror as he speaks. "Only that the demon can be defeated easily by using it's power of deception against it."

Dean's eyes go wide. "What the hell is that supposed to mean?"

Bobby looks down. "I don't know."

"Damn." Dean says no more, for they were now pulling up to their motel room. Dean stops the car and puts it in park.

But before Bobby can exit the vehicle Sam asks him a question. "Bobby, what did Joel mean by 'what happened to you'?"

Bobby looks at Sam. Both Sam and Dean are turned and look at Bobby, waiting for an answer. He quickly exits the vehicle.

Dean watches Bobby's haste.

But Sam is persistent. He exits the car just as Bobby was getting to the motel room door. Bobby tries to turn the handle and finds it locked. "Bobby, please tell me?"

Bobby turns and faces the boys just as another man was walking by. Bobby nods his head saying that he will tall them when they are inside. Dean is just as curious as Sam is, so he quickly searches for the key in his pocket and unlocks the room door. Sam quickly locks the Impala and follows the other two inside.

As soon as Dean has closed the door, Bobby tells his story. "I should have told you two sooner."

Dean stays silent. Sam speaks for him. "Tell us what, Bobby?"

Bobby sits down on one of the beds and holds his face in his hands. "It's one of my more... painful memories."

Dean takes the other bed and faces Bobby, while Sam grabs the chair Dean had been using before and moves to sit right in front of Bobby, intent on getting him to tell his story.

Bobby tries his best to think back to when he was a kid. "It was night. I think it was storming. I don't really remember much of the night itself. I hadn't fallen asleep, yet. I was 9 years old and still scared of storms. I was huddled under my covers. Anyway, there was a particularly loud clap of thunder. I jumped out of bed and ran to my parent's room. My dad was a hunter, so he never seemed scared of anything. He wasn't in the room, though. My mom was the only one in the bed." Bobby smiles. "She was learning to be a hunter, too. She was awesome at it. Total triple threat, skill, murder, and beauty. So, I ran into the bed, and she woke up." Bobby swallowed hard, not wanting to think too much about that part. "Well, anyway, that was when my dad walked into the room. He walked over to my mom's side of the bed. She was about to say something when she let out a scream. It lasted only a couple of seconds before her breath left her completely." Bobby swallows again.

Dean and Sam both look at each other with sad faces.

Bobby continues. "My dad had killed my mom. He ran out of the house, but not before I looked into his eyes. They were just pure evil, like nothing I had ever seen. Then, he was gone, and I was left alone with my mom, blood all over me." He pauses and takes a deep breath before he keeps going. " It was actually about an hour later before I called 911. I didn't really know whom else to call but the cops. And being 9, I told them exactly what I saw… my dad killing my mom. After they had taken her away and taken my statement, they took me to the police station and to some Social Service people came to get me. The next day they said they found my dad. He was in the bathroom of a store, trying to wash the blood off." Bobby then looks up at Sam. "You know I never blamed him, and it was a good thing I didn't. But I could just tell it wasn't him. My first thought was shapeshifter."

Sam gives a sad halfhearted smile.

"I asked to talk to my dad. They would only let me see him through the two-way mirror, but I think he knew I was there. He mouthed the words, 'It wasn't me. I'm so sorry'." And he put his head down. The last time I saw him was in the hospital with a blank stare on his face. He died later on. That's my story. I went to a foster home and the next week I snuck out. I stayed with family friends after that. That was where I learned to be a hunter."

Dean speaks first. "Bobby, I'm so sorry. I could never imagine that kind of thing happening to us."

Bobby smiles. "It was a long time ago. I'm fine."

Sam didn't really want to say what was on his mind_. You're never fine. I don't remember my mom dying, but I miss her and Jess everyday. It's so hard. _"I'm really sorry, Bobby."

Bobby looks Sam in the eyes. "Why? Now, thanks to you I can finally get revenge on that son of a bitch. I never could actually find the one that did it, but this one will have to do until I can find the other one."

Dean stands up and smiles. "Well, it's decided then. We're going after this thing full force."

Sam stands up right after his brother. "Yea."

Bobby slowly stands then smiles at the boys standing before him. "For Sam… and my parents."

* * *

**A/N3:** So, I toned it down a lot in this chapter, but I really wanted some emotional scene with Bobby, some story that would tie into this story. So, I created a dramatic history. Hopefully you liked hearing more into Bobby's past. Thanks for reading, and please leave me a little comment. 


	13. Judgement Call

**A/N:** Well, I actually had this chapter done around the time I posted the last chapter, but I wanted to make sure that you all read my last one. So, I think I should get a pat on the back for posting it so soon, twice in a row. I have now decided I will try and post once a week. So, the next chapter will be in one week. Though, I don't know how because I've barely started it. Darn. Be patient. :D

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**Puppet  
Chapter 13: Judgement Call**

All three boys pack lightly for this upcoming fight. They each grab their favourite pair of sunglasses, Dean placing them neatly on his head, Bobby hanging them on the front of his jacket, and Sam slipping them unceremoniously into his pocket. They really didn't know how to kill the bastard, so they each grab their own favourite knife. As an extra precaution, Dean grabs his 9mm, pocketing different sets of extra bullets. He turns around and sees the other two staring at him. "What?" _I'm not walking in there naked._

Neither Sam nor Bobby says anything. Sam just shakes his head.

Dean smiles. "Well, let's go then."

Bobby chuckles a little. Dean reminds Bobby of himself when he was that age. Always so ready to jump into battle, even with no plan at all.

They all file out of the room, Sam locking the door behind them. They then all pile into the car, ready to go kick some demon ass.

Sam was the first to ask the obvious question. "So, where are we going?"

Dean slows down a little as he reaches the highway. He doesn't want to admit that he has no idea. He glances over at Sam, then at Bobby through the mirror.

Bobby also has no idea, but he is the first to come up with a suggestion. "Well, since no one else has any suggestions, what about going to one of the houses you guys haven't been to?"

Dean chuckles. "Well, I don't think that Meredith will be too happy to see us anytime soon…"

"Meredith?"

Sam shakes his head. "Never mind." _Long story._

Bobby raises his eyebrows.

Dean ignores him and continues. "That leaves the third house in the Sigil." _Other than that I have no idea where it could be._

Bobby smiles. "So, hopefully it's there."

Dean speaks. "Yep." He once again speeds up.

There was silence in the car now. It wasn't an awkward silence, at all. Just, no one really had anything to say, but each had his own thoughts.

Bobby is thinking about what Joel had said. _Well, how can we kill this demon with it's own weapon of deceit. That would mean trying to control it. We can't do that. We don't have that power. All we can do is distract it, but that won't destroy it. And I am not letting this thing get away. It has already ruined enough families. I won't let anyone else get hurt by this son of a bitch. I will get revenge for my parents. I will help them move on. I will destroy this thing… with the help of the boys._

Sam's thoughts are also on the demon, as well as what it is doing. _How can it just come in and destroy families. Of course it's evil, so it has no feelings except evil. I am going to kill this son of a bitch, for Dean. It controlled me and tried to get me to kill my own brother. I turned on him. I turned evil and almost eliminated the one person who has always been there for me He has always tried to protect me, and I threw it in his face and tried to kill him. Of course, Dean won't see it that way. He will just say that it wasn't my fault, but I really feel it is. And damn this pain is getting worse. It's about twice as worse as it was when it started. I don't think it is going to get better anytime soon. This is bad… Dean._

Dean is also thinking about his brother's situation. _Sam's pain is starting to show outward signs. I can see it. This evil son of a bitch hurt my brother bad. He controlled him. Nobody controls a Winchester and lives long enough to tell about it. I know Sam is feeling guilty about it, too. It wasn't his fault, but he will believe it was. I feel so bad for Sam. He tried to kill me. It would have killed him if he had of succeeded. It almost killed me seeing him like that. I won't let this thing do this to another family. I can't let it do it again, for Bobby. He didn't deserve what happened to him. He would still be a hunter, but he would be a hunter with a family, something that rarely comes about in our world. We will kill this thing. We will destroy it._

Sooner than they thought, they are at the last house in the Sigil of Baphomet's pattern. It was a brown little house with a brown oak door and a rotting white fence. The tan shingles were falling off, and the garden was dead. It was definitely creepy.

None of them are fully prepared with what they are about to face. They weren't sure what was going to happen, but they do know how it's going to end. The bastard will die.

They pull the car up just outside the house. They aren't really in the mood to try and be careful right now. None of them are in their right mind.

Bobby was the first out of the car and the first to the semi-brown door. The boys let him take the lead. Bobby raps on the door with fury. His arm falls to his side and pulls out the knife that was in his waistband. Sam can see Bobby's hand shaking. The knife was tapping his leg slightly and uncontrollably. Sam places a gentle hand on his friend's shoulder. _It's ok. We'll get him._ Bobby's head raises ever so slightly, and his body stops shaking.

Bobby bends down in front of the lock and pulls out two paper clips. Dean turns around and gives his ok. Soft taps are heard as the paperclips hit the metal in the door's lock. A few seconds later the lock gives way. They were in.

They all pile quickly into the cozy house. The first thing they notice was the thin layer of dust on everything. This keeps them all sharp, making sure not to leave any trace of themselves there, as they search the house. They stick together just incase someone unexpected was in the quiet house. Rounding every corner, exploring every room, they soon determine that no one is in this quiet little house. They head back to the front door; Sam checks the window to make sure there is no one outside to see them leave.

Then, there, low and behold, on the door is a note. All that it read is, "This time I think we need an open place to meet. Can you think of a place… Dean? See you there."

Bobby reads the note through twice before handing it off for Dean to read.

After Dean has read through it thoroughly twice, Bobby breaks the silence. "Well, Dean?"

Dean looks into Bobby's eyes. "The only place I know if the old plane storage facility on the outskirts of town. It big and has been abandoned for a long time." _What is it with all the notes? Can't I ever just get a straight answer from anybody._

Bobby takes the note back. "Are you sure, Dean?"

Dean shakes his head. "If this demon expects me to know, well that's the only place I can think of."

Sam had read the note from over Dean's shoulder. "Yea, Bobby, that sounds like it would be the right place. It gives ample fighting room and no one will disturb us." _I think I should know._

Bobby looks at the boys for a few seconds. "Ok, then, let's go."

They all file out of the house, Bobby cleaning away their fingerprints on the door handle last.

The once again hop into the car. Sam drives this time, as Dean had decided to bypass the driver's seat and went straight to the passenger side. So, Sam took the wheel.

Beside Sam, Dean was looking at the note. "Damn, I want this thing dead. It could just be jerking us around with this note." _The last one wasn't fake, though._

Sam looks at Dean. "Yea, but I don't think so, Dean. This thing obviously wants us dead, so it isn't just going to let bygones be bygones. Not when we are trying to stop it." That's its downfall. It can't let go, and we are hunters, and we never give up.

Bobby shifts his position in the back. "Are we almost there?"

Dean shakes his head, not wanting to make a witty comment at a time like this. "Almost." His eyes wonder back to the note. _So, what does the evil bastard have planned? _He looks at Sam out of the corner of his eye. _I won't let the thing get near Sam again…_ He turns his head slightly to look at Bobby who is sitting right behind Sam. _…Or Bobby._

Sam then becomes distracted from the pain that he is feeling throughout his whole body. His limbs… and every other part of him just felt like it was on fire. It wasn't going away. His head was starting to cloud.

Dean looks up when he feels the car swerve the tiniest bit. It was hitting the gravel on the side of the paved road, slowly heading into the ditch. "Sam?" _He's hurting._

Sam gives no response. His arm was wrapped around his gut tightly. He was looking at the road, but his eyes were not focusing in the least. _God, god it hurts. It won't go away. Just make it go away._

Bobby was also looking at Sam because of Dean's outburst.

Dean's heart starts to race. He shouts just a little louder. "Sam."

Sam reacts this time to his brother's worried voice. He shakes his head and grabs the steering wheel with both hands. He brings the car quickly back onto the road.

Dean is looking at Sam, his breathing quickening. "Are you all right, man?" _Don't tell me you're fine._

Sam swallows. He grabs the back of his head in attempt to get rid of the major headache that was coming. "I'm fine." He places his hand back onto the wheel and ignores the fast pace of his own heart,

Dean's wouldn't quit. _But you still said it._ _Something is seriously wrong with him. I can feel it._ "Sam, do you want me to drive?"

Sam's voice was shaky and quiet. "I'm ok." _It's subsiding now. I just need to be distracted from it._

Sam's voice was so inaudible that Bobby had to lean forward to understand what he had said.

Dean turns his head just enough to look at Bobby. Bobby gives him a concerned look. Dean immediate takes the look to mean _watch out for him_.

Dean nods his head in understanding. _I will. I have a feeling that this is going to get a lot worse before it gets better. _Dean's eyes don't go back to the piece of paper that still lies in his hands. Instead, they stay focused on his brother. He's really having a hard time concentrating. Just stay with me, dude.

Soon enough though, Sam was turning onto a dirt road that led out of town. Dean refuses to take his eyes of Sam at this point. Through all the pain Sam can still feel Dean burning holes in the side of his head. But, he tries not to move too much, hoping that the headache, which had left, won't come back.

Bobby's head was also starting to pound. Only an hour earlier he had been hit over the head with a bar of iron. He shakes his own head to keep his head clear.

Then, out of no where Sam's head pops up. _How could I not have thought of it before?_ "Duh."

Dean is still looking at Sam, now his eyes go wide. "What?"

Sam shakes his head. "7:40."

Dean squints his eyes now. "What?" _Now he's talking crazy._

Bobby looks at Dean hoping for an answer. Dean shakes his head, not knowing what to say.

Sam continues. "7:40. The time all the people die."

Dean nods. "Yea?"

Sam smiles. "Well, we concluded that 40 was obviously a number for death, but we couldn't figure out what the 7 was, right?"

"Right." Just say it already.

Bobby speaks. "Sam, what are you getting at?"

Sam sighs. "Well, it was 7:40-PM. So, what if you go into the 24 hours clock? 19:40."

Dean's eyes widen for a second.

Sam continues. "The 1 could mean the Number of Unity, so it just means one being, only one. The 9 would then mean the Number of Judgement. That woman that I…" Sam swallows. "…killed, she said she was doing what she was doing for the greater evil. Judgement. It was our time of judgement."

Dean smiles. _Duh…_ "Oh yea, I see what you're saying. The 9 would also mean wisdom, knowledge, and prophecy. She obviously forgot the other 6 meanings of nine, faith, healing, miracles, tongues, interpretation of tongues, and discerning of spirits, but she was evil, so what would you expect. But she, or the one that was controlling her, believed that he was doing something great and wise by killing us. And of course 40 is death."

Sam glances at Dean with a look at approval. "One being's judgement of death, 7:40." _It makes sense now._

Bobby's eyes are still wondering between the two boys in front of him. "7:40?"

Dean turns around to face Bobby. "That was the time that all the murderers died. We couldn't figure out why it was that time. 7 is a holy number so it made no sense."

Bobby nods his head. "I see. Smart. The demon obviously has brains."

Dean snorts. "Brains. The thing's an idiot. First, he didn't use the full meaning of nine. It was meant in a good way when they came up with it. Second, the thing went after Sam. That's pretty stupid in my books."

Sam hides the smile that is on his face. _Thanks man._

Bobby nods again. "So, how does that help us."

Dean looks at him. "Well…" _Huh, uh..._

Sam looks at Dean. "Uh…" _Umm..._

Dean returns his attention to Bobby. "It doesn't, but umm well, you know…" He sighs. _Pointless conversation._

Bobby chuckles. "Ok, just checking."

Sam focuses back on the road, his pain is coming back to him worse than he remembered, but he would have to put it off and hide it for now. In the distance they could all see the Reston Plane Facility. Sooner than they all think Sam is pulling up to the huge front doors. There are two doors, each for loading one plane in. The one on the left was open enough to let anyone roll under it. _Perfect._

They climb out of the car. Each of them made sure to check their pockets and waistbands for everything they thought they might need.

Dean looks at Bobby and Sam. "Good?"

Bobby and Sam both speak in unison. "Good."

They all figure that if the door was open then the demon would be in there, waiting for them, so there was no point in doing a sneak attack. As quickly as possible, to reduce the time of vulnerability, they each roll under the huge door. Once inside they all stand up, looking around. _The place is empty._ But no sooner had they all thought it than the demon walked out of the shadows. The room still had random plane parts scattered around the edges. None of the boys have any plan as of yet.

"I'm glad you're here." The Puppet Master speaks in a menacing tone, not even trying the whole sweet innocent move.

Dean steps forward in front of Sam. "I'm glad we're here, too. We can finally get rid of you."

Bobby doesn't take his eyes off the man standing in front of him. He remembers parts of that night when he was younger. _That's not the one that killed my parents long ago. But it will still be fun to kill it. _He smiles inwardly.

The man grunts. "Hmm, so cocky for someone who is about to die." His grin that was on his face widens. "I made some pretty important observations the last few battles. The main thing I noticed that you guys have no problem killing strangers." He glances at Sam. Sam squirms under the man's glare. He swallows hard. The demon continues. "But you guys are not so gung-ho when it comes to old friends." This time it's gaze meets Bobby's. "So, of course I came prepared. I know you have met him. Let's see how you handle him."

The demon then moves it's glance to the shadows from which it had just emerged. From those shadows comes Chris. Dean and Sam were more surprised to see Chris here than they were to see the evil glare from his eyes. He is being controlled.

Bobby steps forward and speaks into Sam's ear. "Do you know him?"

Sam whispers from behind Dean. "He was the husband of a victim. He was possessed by a demon before we saved him and exorcised it." _If he hadn't of ran, we wouldn't have to fight him right now._

Bobby nods his head. "Great."

Dean's glare does not leave the Puppet Master's eyes. But then the demon moves a few steps back, allowing more room for a fight. Chris steps forward as another human shield in front of the demon. Each of the boys takes one step forward to their foe.

The demon behind all the action speaks. "So, maybe third time will be the charm."

* * *

**A/N2:** Ok, I'm sorry. This was kind of another slow chapter, but I really couldn't find a way to shorten it without getting rid of detail and key parts, so there it is. Next chapter will be another fight, though. So, please review, pretty please. Thanks people. 


	14. The Pain of Death

**A/N:** Ok, I think last week I said I would post every Tuesday... well school has once again started and I got distracted. So, I posted it a day late... I'm sorry. But I did get time to post it, so here. This one has lots of action in it to make up for the last few boring ones. Hopefully it is ok. Enjoy chapter 14.

* * *

**Puppet  
****Chapter 14: The Pain of Death**

They all keep their head clear and quickly place the sunglasses on their face.

The puppet master chuckles. "Well, you guys do learn quickly. Those won't protect you from my puppet though." No sooner had he said that, then Chris comes at them. He had no weapon in hand, but the boys could see that his brute strength would easily over-power any one of them.

Bobby was saving his strength for the real bastard he wanted to kill. So, he was just dodging the punches that Chris was throwing at him and the boys.

Chris didn't really seem like he had an exact strategy. He was just being controlled to make sure that no one got near the demon. When any of the boys would roll away and make a run for the puppet master, Chris would stop what he was doing and would do anything to get back between his master and the hunters.

That was how the majority of the fight was going. Sam and Dean got senses on what the other brother was going to do and tried to help by either distraction or ganging up, but Chris always seemed to be able to thwart whatever they did.

Then only a couple minutes into the battle, Chris got a lucky shot in. His hand swiped across Sam's back and hit him hard there. Sam fell to his knees screaming.

The demon made a face like it hurt. "Ooh. Nice one."

Dean could see blood soaking through his shirt. _Damn, his stitches were pulled. I'm surprised it didn't happen sooner._

Then in the same motion, Chris got in front of Sam and kneed him in the face. His face flew up and his sunglasses were knocked to the ground.

The puppet master chuckled from the sidelines. "Perfect."

Dean ran at Chris while Bobby attempted to think of a plan. Dean grabbed onto Chris's waist and threw him to the side. _Leave my brother alone._ Bobby was now closest to their foe, so he rushed forward to stop him from hurting the boys again. Dean was now on his knees looking at Sam. "Hey, you all right, buddy?"_ He's going to be fine. He's going to be fine. He's going to be fine._

Sam struggled to get up to his feet. "Ugh." He fell back down and into Dean's arms.

_Sammy, don't do this to me now._ Dean caught his weight. "Sammy? Come one, dude. It's not that bad. It's just your stitches. I can clean them up again later." _You're ok._

Sam still didn't respond. _God, it hurts. It hurts, Dean._

Dean's breathing was getting more and more rapid. "Sammy?" _The pain is written on his face. I can't help him. I have to protect him, though._

Bobby then gets thrown into a wall and slumps to the floor. Dean looks to see if his friend is all right. _Damn it. This isn't good._ Bobby's foot moves then his body comes back to life. _Ok, thank god._ Dean's attention returns to Sam, whose body was now not moving at all. Dean runs his hand down his brother's back and feels that there were only a few stitches that had come out, and the wound was already starting to clot. "Come on, Sammy, it's fine." _You're fine. Nothing too bad. I can fix it. I can fix that. But you need to help me out here, kiddo._

Sam seems to finally find his voice. "Dean, it's not that. Ugh. It hurts everywhere, everywhere Dean." _It's burning. Burning everywhere. I can't stop it. It won't go away._

Dean's worried now. "Sammy, what do you mean?" _Sammy?_

Behind him, Chris gets ready to grab Dean's head and snap his neck. Sam lifts his head. "Dean!"

Dean's head whips around and he sees what's happening. _Damn it._ He grabs Sam by the shoulders and pulls him away from the raging man behind him. They slide along the floor a few feet, just as Bobby jumps on Chris's back, both falling to the floor. From the floor Bobby mutters. "Dean, you all right?"

Dean looks at Sam then at Bobby. "Yea, I'm fine, but I don't think Sam is." _I need to get him out of here. I need this to end... Now._

Bobby receives a swift fist in the face, which effectively breaks his nose. Bobby clasps his left hand over his nose, as it starts gushing blood. His eyes don't leave his target as he speaks to Dean. "What's wrong with Sam?" Bobby kicks Chris in the side, which causes Bobby to back up. The kick had hurt his own leg and Chris was still standing firmly on his two feet. He then bends down and does a spin, knocking Chris of his feet. Chris's head seems to make contact with the hard ground below.

Dean's voice cracks as he speaks. "He's been having pains ever since you saved him. It has just been getting worse and worse. He's barely responding to me now." _This can't be a coincidence. It just can't. Something is going on._

Chris didn't seem to be affected by the fall as he slowly clambers to his feet.

Bobby sighs. "Well, I need help over here."

Dean's face says that he doesn't want to leave his brother's side. "Sammy? Come on, Sammy. You're fine. We need you here." _I wish I could be in wo places at once._

Sam groans then looks up into Dean's eyes. He face was contorted in pain, but also in determination. He nods his head. _For you Dean. Only for you._

Dean smiles. "Good boy. Come on, get up." He pulls his brother to his feet, staying for a only a few moments to make sure Sam was standing, then ran to help Bobby who was being picked up by the back of his collar. Dean applies his best kick to Chris's side. Like a wave, his body follows where it had been hit and he buckles. Once again he was on the ground with Bobby lying on top of him. Dean grabs Bobby's hand and pulls him to his feet. "You all right?"

Bobby looks at him, blood dripping from his hairline. "Peachy."

Bobby then gets an idea. He quickly slams a foot into Chris's back, pushing his back down to the ground. He then bends down once again and grabs both his hands, holding them behind the big guys back.

The demon claps from the shadows. "Really good show, boys, really good show. So, what are you going to do now? I am guessing you guys have no way to kill me."

Bobby turns his head to meet the demon's eyes. "I'm sure we can fix that." He then looks up at Dean standing beside him.

Dean shrugs his shoulders. _How the hell would I know what to do?_

Before any of them knew what was happening, Dean could see Sam rushing at the demon from the corner of his eye. "Sam!"

The demon's eyes go wide for a second before he goes into a defensive stance. Sam's pace doesn't slow and he plows right into the demon. They both fall to the ground in a heap. Bobby and Dean both flinch as Sam makes contact with the demon.

This causes Bobby to loosen his grip and Chris slips free of the grasp. He then rolls onto his back and kicks Bobby straight in the butt. He goes flying face first into the ground.

Dean was left there standing wondering what had happened, but not for long. Chris's feet lash out and hit Dean's ankles. He also goes to the ground with a crash.

Chris takes the opportunity and jumps to his feet. Dean wastes no time getting up as well. Bobby slowly pushes himself up. Over on the other side of the building, the demon was pushing Sam off of him. Sam slid to the ground with no movement at all.

Dean looks over at Sam's body. Again his heart starts racing. "Sam!" _God, not now. He's not moving. No, no, no._ He rushes over before Chris can catch him. Bobby stops Chris from pursuing Dean any farther. He punches him straight in the face resulting in a sore hand.

Chris puts his hands together one over the other and pushes hard on Bobby's chest. He goes flying back onto his butt.

The demon stands up. Sam had pushed his foe to the edges of the room. Sam was lying only a foot from the rubbish around the edge. Dean reaches Sam's side, and punches the demon in the face. From Bobby's side, Chris reacts and rushes to his master's side. He elbows Dean in the stomach, and Dean keels over onto his knees. Sam shifts and lifts his head. "Dean." _Everything is starting to go blurring. My head really hurts. Is that really Dean?_

Bobby comes running after Chris who turns to face him. Bobby swings his arm and smashes it into Chris's face. His head snaps back. Then Bobby's gaze falls on a metal rod on the sidelines. He smiles and runs towards it.

The puppet master frowns. "Going to try that again." He walks forward and confronts Bobby. Bobby was about to swing the rod when Chris popped up in front of him. The rod makes a swing anyway and hits Chris right on the side of the head. He slumps to the ground. The rod's end then taps the ground. It was heavier than he had thought. The puppet master uses this break and swings his elbow into Bobby's mouth, loosening some teeth.

Dean hadn't seen what had happened. His attention was on Sam, who was finally moving. _Thank god. He's not dead._ Sam was struggling to pull himself to his feet. Dean grabs his brother's shoulder and pulls him up.

While his back was turned, the demon turns around and grabs Dean by the arm. He then swings around and throws him in the opposite direction of his brother. Bobby tries to make a move to see if Dean's all right, but Chris gets up in a swift movement and hits him in the face, stopping him in his tracks. Dean falls hard on his shoulder when he is thrown. This dislocates it and makes it nearly impossible to use. But as he falls, Dean sees a shine out of the corner of his eye. Looking over he sees a 5-foot shard of mirror in amongst the rubble. _Plan! God its about time._ He smiles. "Bobby."

Bobby looks in the direction of Dean, but is grimly surprised with another hit to his head, opening an old wound, which starts to bleed. That dripping blood now combines with the dried blood from a earlier wound. He winds up his fist and slams it hard into Chris's skull, and he falls to the ground motionless. He steps over his body to Dean's side.

The demon follows them, intending to kill them for once again stopping his puppet.

Dean and Bobby were both now at the sides of the mirror. _Please, let this work._ The demon moves right up to it and Dean pushes hard and tilts it enough so the demon could see a full view of him.

At first the demon seemed surprised to see himself right in front of him. He backs up with surprise and worry… but that only lasts a moment when the demon lowers its head and just laughs. "So, you thought you could kill me with a silly mirror? How …stupid."

Dean's face drops. _Turning his power against him should have worked. It was perfect, but he is still standing._

But he wasn't just standing anymore. The demon was coming right for Dean who had one hand on the mirror and the other arm was draped limply at his side.

Bobby kicks a box at the demon hoping to distract him, but the demon just hits it and it falls useless to the ground.

Sam tries to get up to help his brother, who was now close between a wall and a demon with a huge grudge. _Talk about a rock and a hard place._ Sam manages to get up to his knees before another wave of pain hits and he falls to the ground with a grunt.

The demon looks over at the spectacle and smiles. He then hits Dean hard with the back of his hand, causing Dean to slump to the ground with a now bleeding head, where a ring on the demon's finger had cut into him.

The weight of the mirror causes Bobby to falls backwards with the mirror on top of him. He was powerless to get it off of him.

The puppet master moves away from the two in front of him and towards Sam who is once again lying still on the ground. He reaches the young hunter and grips his chin in his hand. "Let's see how it feels twice." Sam starts to twitch uncontrollably.

Bobby looks over at Sam and his eyes go wide. Sam was staring right into the demon's eyes. He knew what that meant. So, from behind the mirror, he looks over at Dean's slumped form. He shifts his hand around and frees it from under himself. "Dean?" He shakes Dean's shoulder in an attempt to wake him. This doesn't effect him. "Dean!" The simple outburst was enough to rouse the young man. Dean's eyelids slowly open. _What is it now?_

Bobby is still looking at Sam. "Dean, I'd wake up if I were you."

The urgency in the man's voice was enough to alert Dean to his surrounding once again. His eyes wonder the room and fall on his little brother that was now squirming hard under the eyes of the demon. _No, not again. I can't take it again. I can't see him like that._ He looks at Bobby, who was now looking at him helplessly. "Come on." He looks down and sees the mirror on top of his friend. "Push. We need to get this off of you."

They both push with all the strength left that either of them possesses. Slowly the mirror shard was being lifted off of Bobby's lap, where it had landed. Bobby gets up, and all though a little squished, he was relatively uninjured. Dean also gets up behind him. He squints his eyes in a thinking manner. Bobby was determined to make sure Sam was ok, so he rushes forward, but before he gets too far Dean stops him. "Bobby, no." _Another plan. I think. I hope._

Bobby turns at stares wide eyed at Dean. "Why? Dean, we need to do something."

Dean was way too calm with what was happening before him. This made Bobby worry. He takes a cautious step forward, just hoping he wasn't possessed or being controlled.

Dean shakes his head. "No… no… I have a plan… I hope." _Luck. I need luck. Where is a leprechaun when you need one?_

Bobby looks at Dean, but soon makes up his mind that he was himself and nods.

Dean turns back to the mirror. "Bobby, help me with this."

Bobby doesn't move. "Dean, we already tried that."

Dean glares at him, obviously he was in a rush. "I have a plan." _We have no time to lose._

At this point, from behind them, Sam starts to groan from the pain that was being caused by the demon.

Bobby hesitates for only a second longer before going to his spot on the one side of the mirror. With the combined efforts of them both, they slowly dislodge the thing from the rubble. They slowly begin dragging the 5-foot piece of mirror along the floor, which is making screeching sounds when rubbed against the hard concrete ground.

Sam then begins to scream. The pain from earlier combined with this new pain that the demon was inflicting was too much for him to bear.

* * *

**A/N2:** I hope I left you with a little cliffhanger there. I just wanted to keep going, but it would have ended up being unbearable long, and so I shortened it and ended it where I thought there would be a little angst at least. So, I all ready have some of chapter 15 done, so next week here I come. Please, please review. I love you all. 


	15. It Doesn't End Here

**A/N:** So, here is a continuation of last chapter. It's the end to the fight with, what I thought was an interesting end. I know there are going to be a few more chapters after this scene, but I'm not sure where I want to take it. I have plans, but it is so cruel. Anyway, I don't want to give anything away, so here is chapter 15. Enjoy.

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**Puppet**  
**Chapter 15: It Doesn't End Here**

Dean screams at the demon. "Hey!" Sam's screaming only seems to get louder and more violent. _God, not again. Please, not again._

The demon makes no effort to look away from its latest victim. They boys quicken their pace with the mirror dragging between them. Upon reaching both people on the floor, Dean sees that the demon's hand is now clutched tight around his brother's neck. It was the only thing holding up his brother. _God, he's hurting. He's going to choke with the grip, too._ Sam's screaming was also starting to subside ever so slightly. Dean's hearts begins to race even faster. _It's almost over. We don't have much time, and I'm not even sure it will work._ With one last heave the mirror was right beside the demon.

Dean looks at Bobby and nods his head. Bobby also nods and gets a better grip on his side of the mirror, then squirms under its weight as he places himself behind the thing.

Dean then moves to the other side of the demon, facing the mirror. He bends down and looks at its wide orange eyes. _Bastard._ Dean glares at the thing before looking back at Bobby. Bobby smiles.

Sam's screaming was still filled with pain, but it got even worse when Dean grabs the demon's head and attempts to move the gaze away. The demon resists with all that it's worth. But with a hard shove with almost the last of his strength, Dean turns his head enough so his orange eyes are now reflected in the mirror. _Please work, please work._

At first nothing happens, as Sam begins to come around. Sam looks at the demon that is still staring at the mirror. His eyes go wide at what had almost happened. _God, I almost got controlled again. You son of a bitch._

Then the demon starts to move again. He was trying and succeeding to get his gaze away from the mirror and back onto Sam. Sam doesn't even try to look away. He fully glares at the demon_. You won't get me again. You won't control me. Nobody controls me._ And with his own strength added to his brother's, both boys manage to move the gaze back to the mirror shard. Bobby shifts the mirror so it's straighter and more direct.

Then from only a few feet behind Dean, Chris stirs.

The demon's eyes begin to smoke. A scream is released from his throat.

Chris's eyes fly open from the scream and they meet the situation before him. Through the mirror he can see the man who had just been controlling him; he could see his eyes burning.

Dean and Sam try as hard as they can to keep a grip on the demon, but his body literally starts to heat up as his whole face changes to the colors of flames. Sam and Dean both let go of the demon. But the demon still had a firm grasp around Sam's neck. This was now burning a mark into Sam's skin. Dean tries to grab the demon's wrist but it was too hot to grasp. _Sammy... Sam... God._

Sam looks at his brother in a sad manner, even though he was literally burning at the neck. _Dean, help. Dean..._ Dean looks back at Sam. His eyes then narrow and he shakes his head. He hits the demon's wrist as hard and fast as he could, which makes it bend. This grip was now lost on its victim, but it left behind a clear hand mark burnt into Sam's skin. Dean sighs hard. _It's ok Sammy, you're fine now. I got you._

Sam sits back a little as the demon gets hotter. Bobby squints his own eyes behind his shades as the demon catches on fire.

It all happened slower than a normal spirit or creature usually burns. It seemed like such a painful way to go. But none of the four men in the room minded much. They all wanted to make the thing suffer for what it and others like it have ever done. Each of them lets a small smile sneak onto their face. _Burn, baby burn._

The demon was looking at himself in the mirror and in his own eyes he was seeing all the people he had ever hurt, each of them creating an even bigger flame then the last. Finally after what seemed like an eternity in hell, he was back to feeling like himself and he could feel his surroundings. But his gaze was still locked on its own. It's eyes were now literally trying to control the other in front of it resulting in neither getting controlled and a small explosion as the thing burst into a huge flame and seems to disappear into the air.

There wasn't even a trace of it left, no ash or any other sign. This was also fine with the boys. Each of them was just glad that the fight was over and they had all gotten out of it mostly unharmed.

Dean of course was the first to react. It wasn't joy though… it was worry. He looks over at Sam and his eyes quickly wonder down to the light hand shaped burn mark on his neck. _That's going to sting for a while._ Sam looks at Dean, but before he can say anything Bobby clears his throat. "Touching." He then flicks his eyes, telling the boys to get out of the way. Dean scrambles to Sam's side as Bobby pushes the heavy mirror shard onto the floor.

Although heavy, the mirror shatters on the ground into what seemed like a million pieces, going down with it, the memory of what had happened now… and in the past.

Now, that Dean was right beside Sam, he gets a better look at the wound on his brother's neck. "Damn, that looks like it hurts."

Sam cringes as Dean softly touches it. "Oh, not much." _Not... hurts like a bitch._

Dean looks at him. "I'm sure you wouldn't be saying that if I had waited another moment or two before extracting his burning hand from your neck, once again saving your ass." _Like old time. But I always will protect._

Sam smiles a genuine smile. "I'm sure you would have enjoyed that."

Dean chuckles at him. "As much fun as it would have been for me… no. I would be the one who has to look at that thing all day, stuck in a room with your sorry ass." _It would have been a constant reminder of what happened._

Bobby clears his throat again. "If you guys are both done…" His sentence stops and his eyes point towards Chris who is now leaning on his hands still staring at the remnants of the mirror. His eyes are wide.

Dean looks back at Sam. Then back at Chris. "Hey, Chris, how are you doing?" _He's probably going to run again._

Chris's gaze slowly meets Dean's eyes. His voice is shaky and croaky. He stutters through his, almost inaudible, sentence. "That… that… was… but how… it… he…" He clears his throat so his voice could be heard more clearly. "I'm fine." He nods his head while saying it.

_Well, that was a surprise. Glad I don't have to chase him this time._ Dean nods his head in understanding. "Ready to get out of here?"

Chris gives a huge sigh of relief. "Definitely."

Bobby looks up at the ceiling. "Well, thank the heavens, finally. So, that settles it, let's go." And before any of them can argue, Bobby is strolling at a fast pace towards the huge doors and before Dean, Sam, and Chris can even get up, Bobby is out.

Chris raises his eyebrows at Dean. Dean shrugs his shoulders. "That's Bobby for you." _Glad its over though._

Chris quickly follows after him. But although Sam had gotten up on his own, all the pain he was feeling now made it extremely difficult to walk. Dean used himself as a human crutch and helped his little brother out of the Reston Place Storage Facility, hopefully, for the last time. _If we ever this place again it will be too soon._

Upon getting outside into the cool night air, Dean slowly makes his way over to the car with Sam at his side. Dean makes sure that Sam is in the car, Bobby worries about Chris on the other side, both of the two men clambering into the vehicle unceremoniously. Dean and Bobby then both shut the back doors at the same time.

Bobby and Dean then reach the front of the car, Dean at the driver's side, and Bobby at the passenger's, and they open the doors. Both of them, then, almost sexily, take off their sunglasses and climb gracefully into the front seats, each, once again, slamming the doors at the same time.

Once inside though, Dean makes sure his rearview mirror is turned to get a perfect view of his little brother, who was slumped quietly in the back, behind his seat in the car.

Dean pulled away from the building and into the night.

From behind Dean, Sam lets out a small grunt.

Dean's eyes immediately flick to the rearview mirror. "Sam?" _He's definitely feeling the aftermath of it._

Sam's own eyes shake open and meet his brother's in the mirror. He could only nod his head in response. He then gives a confident smile to reassure Dean that was going to be fine. _I will try to be strong, but I don't know how long that will last._

Dean nods his head in approval. "So, Chris where can I drop you off?" As soon as the words had left his mouth, Dean regretted them.

Chris's head lowers, but Dean could still see his face. The pain was written on his face. "Well, I don't really have a place to call home anymore…"

Dean's own sorrow was strewn across his face. "I'm sorry, I didn't mean…" _Damn, I'm an asshole._

Chris looks at Dean's back. "It's ok. I guess… you can just drop me off at the first motel we see."

Dean frowns. "Are you sure? I can drop you off at another family member's place?"

Chris gets a sad smile on his face. "No, my whole family lives about a 5 hour drive from here. I couldn't ask you to drive that far. I'll get a cab tomorrow, grab my own car, and drive there myself."

Dean still frowns. "It's no trouble. I can just drop these guys off and take you. You really shouldn't be driving…"

Chris breaks into a yawn. "I know, but after a good night's sleep I'm sure I can do fine on my own… But I really must thank you all. All though my wife is dead, I am still alive because of you."

Sam opens his eyes and looks at Chris beside him. Dean adjusts his mirror some so he could see both men in the back. Bobby turns around just enough to see Chris behind him.

"I still remember all the horrible thing I was doing to you back there. But I just couldn't control it. It hurt too much to try. But you guys wouldn't kill me, and for that I thank you."

Sam, Dean, and Bobby all give a small smile, not really knowing what to say at that moment in time. The silence in the car was penetrating but not awkward. It was almost a happy silence. Everything had turned out fine in the end and they could finally put what they had seen behind them, hopefully for good.

But then out into the dimness of the early night, Dean made out the words, 'Skyline Motel' on a little wooden sign.

Dean looks at Chris to double check his offer and was once again turned down by Chris shaking his head. "I'll be fine now, I think. I can't say it will be easy to forget all of what happened, especially with the whole 'evil creature' thing, but hopefully the thought will become a distant memory someday."

Dean pulled up to the registration desk and put the car in park. "Well…"

Chris smiles before he leaves. "Thanks guys, so much…. For me and my wife, thank you." And with that he leaves the car and quickly enters the building without even looking back.

Dean waits only a couple moments before pulling back out onto the highway. He moves the mirror back onto Sam and sees his eyes are closed once again.

From there is only got worse. The entire drive, Sam's pain increased and by the time they reached Bobby's place, the pain had increased exponentially. Dean finally pulls up to his friend's place by the old junk car lot. He goes to Sam's side immediately and couldn't keep the tears out of his eyes at the sounds his brother was making. They were screams of such pain that it wasn't even imaginable as to what he was feeling. _God, I need to help him. I'll do anything to help him._

Bobby gets to Dean side. "Come on, we need to get him inside."

Dean choked back his tears and nodded his head. With great difficulty they get him inside and into one of Bobby's spare bedrooms.

Sam couldn't even comprehend where he was, and he was left alone in the room while Dean talked to Bobby outside in the study.

Bobby was seated in an old armchair in the corner, while Dean paces back and forth across the room. "What's wrong with him, Bobby?"

Bobby shakes his head.

Dean stops pacing and faces Bobby with rage. "Bobby!" _God, he's waisting time. Sam's hurting_.

Bobby looks up from his thoughts. "I… I don't know."

Dean speaks through gritted teeth. "Well, you went through this. You should know."

Bobby's face goes blank, thinking about what had happened to him in the past. His eyes start to well up with tears.

Dean's face softens. "I'm sorry, I didn't mean to burst like that." _God, second time I'm an asshole._

Bobby just nods his head.

Dean continues. "But he's hurting in there. He's hurting and we don't know why." He whispers. "He's hurting and I can't help him." Dean's eyes meet Bobby's. "Bobby, call Joel. Ask him about it."

There was no response from the old man.

"Bobby! … Please." Dean's voice goes soft and sad. _I need to help him, now._

Bobby's eyes light up. "Right. Sam… we need to help him." And he reaches for the phone on the table beside him.

The phone rang for only a few seconds before a male voice picked up on the other line.

Bobby speaks with a rough voice. "Joel?"

"Bobby, is that you?"

"Yea, its me."

"What's wrong?"

Dean shivers from the side. Bobby's voice cracks. "The kid, Sam… something's wrong with him."

"What? What's happening?"

Bobby looks up at Dean before speaking again. "He's hurting. He can't control the pain and it seems to be getting worse and worse."

"Pain? I never heard of pain with that demon. Did you kill the thing, yet?"

Bobby swallows hard. "Yea, its dead. We figured it out, but the pain didn't go away. It keeps getting worse, and we don't know what's wrong."

Then, almost as if on cue, Sam lets out a cry of bloody murder. Dean's whole body stiffens before he books it towards the spare room only a few paces away. He bursts into the room and is greeted with the sight of his brother tossing and turning violently on the bed. _Sammy!_ He seems like he is almost trying to escape the pain… just escape it. He was unsuccessful. Dean was at his side just before Sam screamed again. Dean gripped his brother's shoulders attempting to still him. _Sam, please stay with me bro, stay with me. Don't leave me yet. I need you here._ Sam only lashed out harder. Sam wildly swung his arm knocking Dean backwards.

Bobby had been standing in the doorframe, the phone hung at his side, his mouth agape. Now he ran over to Dean's side. But Dean wouldn't except the help. He ran right back over to Sam's side. "Sammy? Sammy! Shh…. It's ok. It's me. It's Dean. I'm here. You're ok." _Please, answer me. Please, tell me you're all right._

But Sam wasn't hearing it. In attempt to get rid of the pain Sam lunges at Dean. They land on the floor with Dean on the bottom. Sam leans up and just starts punching him in the face. It was a good 4 or 5 hits before Bobby yanked Sam off of Dean and pulled Dean away, the phone forgotten on the floor.

Sam leaned up against the side of the bed, holding himself tight, the pain turning from bad to excruciating.

Bobby pushed as hard as he could to get Dean away from Sam. _No, let me go. I need to help him._ Dean wouldn't hear it and tried profusely to get back to his brother before Bobby finally pushes Dean hard to the floor and shut the door, locking it last.

Dean stands and attempts to get past the older man. "Bobby, let me back in. Let me help him." _No, I need to be with him. He needs me._

"Dean stop, listen to me. You can't. He'll kill you."

Dean's eyes start to water again. "I don't care! I need to help him."

Bobby stands still. "Stop! Dean you can't do anything to help. He doesn't even recognize you. He's homicidal right now."

And then on the other side of the door they hear a small object thrown against the door and falling to the floor, breaking into pieces. From the study Bobby hears beeping. "And that was the phone." He turns back to Dean. "Dean, listen to me. I will figure this out. WE will figure this out, but for now you cannot go back in there… Promise?"

Dean only looked at him.

"Dean!"

Dean only nods. _He's right. But how can he stay so calm. Sammy..._ Bobby is satisfied as another object hits the wall on the other side of the door and falls to the floor with a thud. Bobby walks back to the study to call Joel, again. He turns back before leaving. "Don't worry Dean. Nothing will happen to Sam."

Dean turns his attention back to the door. His little brother's cries of pain are still being heard as more objects at moved around and being dismembered. Dean gently places his hand on the door. He whispers to no one in particular. "Sammy." His hand than balls into fist and slams hard into the door in complete frustration. _Damn it. Why Sam? Why him?_ His hand then flattens into a palm and rests on the door. His forehead meets the door, and before he even knew it tears were flowing down his face. "I'm sorry, Sammy." And he falls to the floor.

For a few moments he just sits there on his knees, his right hand on the door, his forehead on the door, crying.

Only after a few more objects had been broken Dean turns around, falls to the floor, his back to the door, his legs pulled up to his chest and arms wrapped around them, and his forehead on his knees. There he silently prays for his brother, as yet another object is thrown at the door.

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**A/N2:** So, Sammy is hurting. I totally thought about going this direction long ago, but I now I have finally made up my mind. Thanks for reading this chapter and I would really hope you would give me a tiny bit of your time to review. Love you all. 


	16. Bad News Travels Fast

**A/N:** School's a bitch, keeping me away from my Supernatural like this. Of course it's not mine, but in my head it's mine. Anyway, I hope you liked the last chapter and now to continue on with it. Here is chapter 16.

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**Puppet  
Chapter 16: Bad News Travels Fast**

Only a few minutes pass when from behind the door Dean hears a crash of glass shattering to the floor. Dean doesn't even move. _God, Sam, what's going on. I hate not knowing what to do._

Bobby comes running around the corner, from the study, down the hall to the door. He glances briefly at Dean, who is still motionless on the floor. Bobby then heads out through the door.

Dean barely even notices Bobby run by. He couldn't stop thinking about Sam, and wondering what was going to happen to him. He needed Sam to live or he could never go on. _I have spent my whole life protecting him, sheltering him. I never imagined something like this could happen to him. What if he doesn't make it? What will I do? What can I do? Sam is my life. Without him how can I go on? How we he be after this? Will he always be in pain? I will protect him as much as I can. I need to do something now thought. But what can I do?_

Over the next couple minutes a lot of things could be heard. There was an obvious struggle outside followed quickly by the slam of wood on wood, then nails being roughly hammered in. It really happened fast. About 3 pieces of wood were hammered in before it was quiet, except for Sam.

Bobby came back in. "Sam, blew out the window. Barely caught him in time before he jumped out. I boarded the window up. I'm hoping it will hold."

Dean still said nothing. Bobby was almost grateful. He was almost in the study again when he heard a small whisper behind him.

"Bobby."

Bobby stops in his tracks. He quickly squeezes his eyes shut.

"Have you found out anything to help Sam?"

His voice was so soft and sad that Bobby regretted the answer.

"I… Dean, I finished talking to Joel. He looked through all the books and sources he could find. There's nothing. He's never heard of anything like this. I… I'm sorry."

Dean's head still doesn't leave his knees. Instead, they push down harder to attempt to just hide and cry. He couldn't loose Sam, now or ever. _Here I am, sitting on the floor like a poor pathetic normal person. I am not normal, Sam is not normal. I need to find some abnormal way to help him if that's what it takes... Yet, I can't bring myself to move. But he needs me._

The last few steps to the study were hard for Bobby. He felt so bad. He had hoped Dean wouldn't ask him that one question and yet it was inevitable that it would come out, and he felt bad for having to tell him. But he needed to know. If they had no way to help Sam, then Dean would have to prepare for the worst.

After a full hour in the room, Sam had tried three times to get through the boarded window, twice breaking through the door, and once Dean could even hear scratches almost as if Sam was trying to dig his way out. All the while he screamed, but after that hour had past his screaming had subsided and turned to grunts and groans.

Inside the room, Sam was lying on the ground clutching his head tightly. His voice had turned croaky and he could no longer scream. His pain had passed excruciating and could no longer be measured on a scale. He couldn't even think. Sam's mind was blank.

While outside the room, Dean hadn't moved once. His butt was going numb but he was not about to leave his brother. But at that time Dean heard a car drive up to the house. His mind didn't dwell on the thought though.

But the car's door was roughly opened and shut by a young man. Bobby came out to greet the man. "Caleb, thanks for coming so fast." He shook Caleb's hand.

Caleb smiled. "Anytime. Looks like we both have debts to pay to those Winchesters."

Bobby turns and goes back inside with Caleb close at his heels. "Yea, and Sam's in big trouble. Now, you mentioned something about some information on all of this."

Caleb's face goes grave as he follows his friend to the study. "Yea. When you told me what was happening I thought of what happened with Paul, John and I."

Bobby turns and faces Caleb, his eyes wide. "John? John was with you in Beryl?"

Caleb nods but says nothing more as they keep walking, passing Dean on the floor. Caleb looks down on him and feels complete sympathy for the man. He could also hear Sam in the other room and knew how bad it was. He doesn't make a sound until they had entered the study. "We were working a hunt together. We thought it would be a simple exorcism. We had found where the demon would be, but it didn't show. We looked but it seemed to have disappeared. There was no trace of it. But what we found afterwards was way worse."

Bobby offered Caleb his seat, while he grabbed a wooden chair and sat in it backwards.

Caleb got as comfortable as he could in this situation and continued. "The demon had left. We knew we had to find it, so we searched everywhere, even out of state, for any sign of the bugger, but there was nothing. It didn't want to be found. We staying in Beryl only a couple extra days, but those seemed like enough."

Bobby moved in closer as Caleb's voice got quieter.

Caleb looked at the old hunter in front of him. "Paul was a friend of mine from way back. But one night he just lost it. He actually attacked us in our motel room. We weren't hurt that bad. We locked him in the room and left to find out a way to help him. But his eyes were the worst part. In all my life I had never seen eyes so full of evil, especially from someone who I know to be good. They were so incredibly dark, I didn't know what to say. John stayed the calmest. He had grabbed the weapons, and we went and got another motel room. We found nothing that night, but when we went back there the next morning we found Paul lying on the ground, almost as if he were dead. We felt a pulse though and got him to the hospital. He died soon after that." Caleb swallowed hard.

Bobby moved even closer, feeling sad for the young man.

Caleb continued. "We had no idea what had happened. Then we received a note on our truck saying something like, 'I know who you are. I am going to enjoy killing you. See you tonight.' We waited there until nighttime and a man walked up to us. Out of no where he tries to kill us. We shot the man and he fell dead, but another creature came from the shadow. We shot at it, but it did nothing. But it got pretty pissed at us. We had killed two of its puppets and we were still alive." He looks down at the floor. "I guess he had heard of John's reputation and wanted to be the one to kill him putting me in immediate danger. But we got away. That was only a couple of weeks ago. It must have still been gunning for us, but instead the boys got dragged into it."

Bobby clears his throat. "Caleb, do you know what is happen to Sam?"

Caleb shakes his head. "No, I don't know why this is happening. Honestly, I only came for the boys. I don't know what to do, though."

Then from the study door comes a small croaky voice. "That seems to be that answer of the century." Dean was standing in the doorway, looking really bad. His shoulders were slumped his chin met his chest and his face was dark. His clothes were wrinkled and on the knees of his dark blue jeans, Bobby could clearly see tears stains.

Caleb and Bobby both stand up. Caleb takes a step forward. "Dean."

Dean lifts his head slightly. "Hey Caleb, good to see you." _I haven't seen you in a while, not since Dad pissed you off. It was his fault, too._ He attempts a small smile.

Bobby walks right up to Dean. "How are you feel?"

Dean's head goes down again. "I'm fine. Sam isn't though." _He just keeps getting worse._

Bobby places a hand on the young man's shoulder. "We'll get help, Dean." Then from behind Caleb the phone rings. All three men looks up started by the interruption.

Caleb grabs the phone. "Hello?"

There was silence on the other end of the line for a few seconds before a startled voice responds. "Caleb?"

Caleb looks at Bobby before speaking. "Yea, who's this?"

There is a sigh on the line. "Hey Caleb, its Joel. We met once when you were here with Bobby a few years back."

Caleb looks at the ceiling trying to recall the time then answers. "Hey Joel, its been a long time."

"Yea."

Bobby comes and grabs the phone. "You got something for us, Joel?"

More silence. "Yea, but it isn't good."

Bobby glances at Dean, and Dean walks over to Bobby to listen to what Joel has to say. "What is it?"

Caleb walks behind Bobby and Dean and puts his head near the others. Bobby holds out the phone so it can be heard by everyone.

"I did find some more information from another contact on all of this. They said that they had only heard of this once. There is no name for it, but that's really because there is no cure for it."

Dean grabs the phone and yells into it. "What do you mean no cure?" _No, this can't be happening. This is not the news I wanted to hear._

Joel doesn't say anything. Bobby grabs the phone back. "That's Dean."

"Uh huh."

Bobby hands the phone back to Dean and he takes it roughly. "So, there's no way to help him?" _Talk to me, please say it was a cruel joke. Tell me how to help him._

"No."

This small answer enraged Dean even more. _No..._ "Well, why is it happening, why Sam?"

Joel sighs. "The pain is not a result of the person being controlled. It is actually because of that person breaking from the grasp of the Akem Manah. When that person was controlled they were like one. So, the pain is like breaking one being into two."

Dean screams at Joel. "But there's no way to stop it!" _Nothing... No way._

There was a short moment of silence. "No."

Dean takes a deep breath. "Will he be ok?" _I don't even want to know the answer. This day has gone from bad to worse, and I know it can keep getting worse._

Once again, just silence.

"Joel!" _And it just got worse._

"It's also not good. The only person I could find who had been through the same thing had died from the pain."

Dean was stunned. He couldn't move, he couldn't breath. He was going to lose his brother. _No, no, no. Sam, I said I would help you. Sammy... _

Dean just held the phone to his ear until Bobby came and grabbed. Dean collapses into Bobby's wooden chair. Caleb kneels on the floor in front of Dean and can just make out Dean whispering to himself. It broke the man's heart. "He's going to die. He's going to die. I am going to lose him. Sam won't live. I won't be with him where he goes. I can't follow him. Sam wouldn't want me to. He's going to die. I need him still. I need him." _I need him. I need him. I need him. I need him..._

Bobby continued to mutter with Joel for a minute before hanging up the phone once more. Caleb signaled him over to Dean.

Dean was still muttering inaudibly to himself.

Bobby puts his hand under Dean's chin and lift's his head. "Dean?"

Dean was barely breathing. He seemed like he was slowing killing himself, like he literally couldn't go on. He was throwing in the towel, too tired to fight. _I can't..._

Bobby fought back tears from seeing Dean like this. "Dean!"

Dean only moves his head slightly to look into Bobby's eyes. "He's going to die." _I failed. I'm useless if I can't even protect my own family._

Bobby shakes his head hard. "Not if we can help it. But Dean you can't give up. He needs you right now more than ever. He needs you and you know it."

Dean breathing comes back. He was almost panting. "Sam. Sam!" Dean jumped from the chair knocking the chair over from the force and Caleb over from the shock.

Bobby moves back as he watches Dean leave the room. Then he quickly gets up and follows him. He catches up to him just as Dean unlocks the door to Sam's room and bursts in. "Dean you can't. He'll kill you!"

But Dean wouldn't listen to reason. He knew Sam needed him and he would be there for him no matter what his brother did. But the sight in the room was stunning. Every feasible piece of furniture had been broken or moved. The room was filled with shattered glass, broken wood, and feathers from a single pillow. Even the bed was on its side. But seeing Sam in the middle of the room snapped Dean back to reality. His brother was lying on his side in a small ball, frightened.

Bobby grabs Dean's arm in an attempt to stop him from going any farther, but Dean roughly pulls away and runs to his brother. "Sam? Sam I'm here. Sammy." He feels for a pulse. It was so faint, it was slowing down, but it was steady. "Hey Sammy, you are going to be all right now. I'm here. You just hang on." _He can still fight it. I can't lose him now. I won't lose him now._

Bobby couldn't help but just watch. Caleb also entered the room and stops dead in his tracks. He had seen Sam lots. He had helped baby-sit him when he was young, he had been there through school... hell he had even hunted with him. He was a strong young man, and a kind one. But this man on the floor was not the Sam he knew. Caleb could tell he just wanted to hide, he wanted the pain to stop, he wanted to die. But when Dean touched Sam, he could see him almost lean into the touch. There could still be hope, some of Sam was still hidden in there.

Caleb nudges Bobby beside him and signals for him to help him put the bed right side up. Bobby stays still for only a moment longer before going to help his friend.

The bed was pushed over and while Caleb made the bed up, Bobby went to Dean and Sam. "Dean."

Dean's eyes don't leave his brother as Bobby and him carry Sam to the bed. They lay him down and even though there was now silence in the room, they could all clearly make out the pain he was in. It also didn't seem that he would get better anytime soon.

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**A/N2:** Sorry, I think that was another cliffie. I am just so mean. Hope you liked the drama, Sam still in pain and all. Please review and thanks to all whom have stuck with me this far. 


	17. No More Secrets

**A/N:** Here is some more of Hurt!Sam and Emo!Dean. Let's see what happens shall we?

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**Puppet  
Chapter 17: No More Secrets**

Dean and Caleb get on either side of the bed, while Dean sits on it beside his brother. Dean places a gentle hand on Sam's head and pushes his bangs out of his face. _You know I never hated your hair. I sometimes thought you needed a serious haircut, though. _Dean's tears had stopped. He was once again putting on a brave face for his brother.

A few minutes pass and Caleb shifts behind Dean. This brings Dean back to the fact that there were others in the room. Dean looks up at Bobby and nods his head.

Bobby nods his head to Caleb and signals them to leave the two alone. They silently get up and leave the room, shutting the door behind them.

Dean attention goes back to his brother. "Sam? Can you hear me, kiddo?" Dean sighs. "Sam..." He didn't know what to say. His wall was stopping him from getting emotional. Dean shakes his head. "Sam, do you remember the time when Dad took us camping? _God, I hate myself._ You were about 7 I guess, but you were so excited. We never did anything together. The night before we left I saw Dad packing something extra in the trunk. I asked him about it, but he said it was nothing. We left the next day, and that very same night something attacked us. You were sleeping on my lap and you didn't even wake up." Dean heard footsteps outside the door.

He made sure they were gone before continuing. "The thing was a spirit, and it got Dad first, then me. You fell to the ground. The thing came after you, and as soon as you felt the cold closing in you woke up. You thought the spirit was mom. You had seen pictures of her and I guess your mind thought it was her. You didn't move even as the thing came closer. Dad ran to the trunk and grabbed a dufflebag full of weapons. He shot the thing and it disappeared. I ran to you and you were still looking at mid-air. I convinced you that it was a dream and told you to go back to sleep."

Dean frowns. "I confronted Dad about it, but he still said nothing. Dad stayed up all night making sure the thing didn't come back. The next morning he wasn't there. That was when you first started asking questions. They just flooded out of you. I didn't want you to know. The rest of the trip I made sure you had as much fun as possible because I knew I would have to tell you everything sooner then later. I think that was when I first realized I hated camping."

Dean ran his fingers though his own hair. "You were so damn persistent. You asked every question possible. I was only trying to protect you. And now after it all..." His sentence trailed off as he thought about what could happen.

"Sam, Dad would never forgive me if you died. I would never forgive myself." _Sammy, I couldn't live with myself. I couldn't live._

Sam had been calming down as his heart rate slowed even more. His face was getting pale, and he was shaking. He was fading.

"I have saved you so many times. That werewolf from Spencer, Iowa. That demon in Bloomington, Illinois. Hell, you've saved my ass more than a few times. We make a great team, and there's just no I in team. I need you here Sammy." Dean put his finger to Sam's neck, making sure not to press so hard on the lightly visible hand mark while checking for the pulse. He was stricken with grief when the beat had slowed down even more. _He's not hurting anymore. At least he will go in peace. But why does he have to go at all._

"Sammy, please..." He places a gentle hand on the side of his brother's face, rubbing his thumb over his cheekbone. "...Not now."

A single moment passed when Sam starts tossing again. The pain was clearly coming back. Dean tried to still his brother, tried to stop the thrashing. Sam's voice was still raspy as he tried to scream. They came out as agonizing howls of pain. With his left hand, Sam's hand wraps around Dean's upper arm in a vice grip. Dean barely notices. Sam's other hand was griping his stomach, digging in with his fingernails. Dean grabs Sam's right hand and pulls it towards his own chest.

The thrashing lasted a good 5 minutes before, very suddenly, Sam goes limp. Both his hands loosen their death grips. Dean keeps holding onto his brother's hand, gripping it close to his heart. Sam's body was limp and lying there.

Dean couldn't even breathe. "Sammy?" _Sammy, god, no not now, not now, no no no._ His eyebrows furrow in worry. Dean glances all over Sam for any sign of his brother. His eyes start to well up with tears when he finds nothing. "Sam." _I can't believe this just happened. I can't believe it. I won't believe it._

Then slowly, Sam curls his fingers around Dean hand. A tear drips down Dean cheek, and he watches his brother's chest rise and fall. Looking back at his face, Dean sees Sam's eyes flutter open. Dean didn't even know what to say.

Sam's eyes wander over to Dean's face. His voice comes out soft and pained. "Dean..." His eyes then meet Dean's. "Are you crying?" _Then I did hear him crying after all._

Dean smiles and let's out the breath he had been holding. "Got something in my eye." _Damn wall._ He quickly wipes away the single tear that had streaked his face.

Sam chuckles a little and shakes his head. _Glad to have the old Dean back though._

Dean places a gentle hand on Sam's forehead. "How are you feeling?"

Sam swallows, trying to get some moisture in his mouth. "I'm ok." _Hurts like hell, but I'm alive._

Dean sighs. _He isn't going to tell me he is still hurting. _He takes his hand away from his brother's forehead and places it on the bed beside him.

Sam's eyes flick to the empty chair. "Where's Bobby?" _I'm guessing Dean made him leave._

Dean also looks at the chair. "He's fine. He's still in the study."

Sam nods his head. _I knew it. I'm tired, but I still want to see him._

_Fine..._ Dean smiles. "I'll go get him." He unlinks their hands and walks silently to the door.

Sam smiles, but when the door had shut behind Dean he places his hand over his heart. _It still hurts. Though, all the pain I was feeling I guess I should be glad it's not worse._

Dean slowly walks into the study, interrupting Caleb and Bobby who are in conversation. Dean's face was unreadable as he walks through the door. Bobby stands up. "We heard the screams..."

Dean looks at Bobby and nods his head. It felt heavy from all the worry that he had been feeling. _This shock is going to take a while to wear off._

Then, to the surprise of both Bobby and Caleb, Dean smiles.

Bobby takes a step forward. "Dean?"

Dean nods his head. "He wants to see you." _The looks on their faces. Priceless._

Caleb stands up and looks at Bobby. "He... he's alive?"

Dean faces Caleb. He speaks in a 'Duh' tone. "He's a Winchester." _We don't go down that easily... thank god._ He then uses his head to signal for them to follow.

The two older men quickly follow after Dean. Dean opens the door to Sam's room. He sees Sam lying on the bed with his eyes closed. "Sam?" Sam didn't move. _No, no, no._ Dean takes a step forward. "Sam?"

The second call woke Sam up. He raised his head a little off the bed. Dean sighs. _God, don't scare me like that._ He then moves to the side to allow Bobby and Caleb access to the room. They each go to one side of the bed.

Neither Bobby nor Caleb could really say anything. Sam was the first to break the silence. "Hey Caleb."

Caleb smiles. "Hey Sam. Been a while."

Sam attempts a nod but settles with saying, "Yea." _It's been years. I think I was 17 when I saw him last._

Small talk was made for a few minutes before Dean noticed Sam bobbing his head up and down, trying his hardest not to fall asleep. Dean doesn't even need Sam to look at him for him to tell. "Hey, why don't we go pick up some food. I'm starved."

Bobby takes the hint. "Sounds good."

Caleb stands up first. "Get some sleep, buddy."

Sam doesn't say anything as he gratefully nods to Dean and drifts off back to sleep. Dean let's the two men out of the room before going to the bed and covering Sam up with a blanket that had been pushed off the bed. He places it over Sam before following the two men out of the room.

As soon as the door shut, Bobby offered to pick up the food. "I don't think any of us have eaten in a while."

Dean didn't argue the fact and watched as Bobby grabbed his own jacket and keys and left the building. As soon as Bobby left, Caleb turned to Dean. "You should get some sleep to."

Dean shakes his head. "I'm fine." And he heads to the comfy chair that Bobby had first sat in. He collapses in the chair and it didn't take more than a minute before Dean was resting his head on the back of the chair and softly breathing.

Caleb shakes his head. "Fine... yea right." He sits down to wait for Bobby.

Bobby was back within the hour. He had arrived with a couple bags of take-out and four coffees. Dean woke up at the sound of the front door shutting and sat straight up. "Sam!"

Caleb is startled by the outburst but relaxes quickly when he realizes that Dean is still worried. "I just checked on him. He's still sleeping."

Dean slumps back into the chair and nods his head. _Bad dream._ Bobby drops the food and drinks on the desk and Dean was the first to grab one.

Bobby hands one to Caleb and takes one for himself. "I thought you might want an extra strong one."

Dean wrinkles his nose. "Yea, thanks." _I need extra extra strong over here._

No more was said. No one really had anything to stay. They were all very overwhelmed by what had just taken place no more than an hour ago. Bobby did pick up a random book and start flipping through it. Within minutes it was back on the floor and another one was in his hands. No one else was really doing anything.

Dean's heart was still beating fast, but his head was racing with thoughts. _How did he survive? Not that I'm complaining, but Caleb said that one guy died. Why am I getting jerked around like this? Sam almost dies twice in one hunt and I couldn't do anything either time. I am so glad to have good friends. But that brings me back to why Sam? I try and try to protect him but he still gets hurt. I should have been the one hurting, but no. It's Sam lying on that bed. It's Sam that almost died. I still can't even imagine what I would have done if he had of died. He was close to death and I wouldn't give up... I almost did give up. I had given up hope. I thought he was going to die. I gave up._

His thoughts continued on in the same manner for a half an hour before his attention was taken to Sam, who was standing ruggedly in the doorway, leaning on the doorway. Dean immediately stands up, almost dropping his half drank coffee.

Sam nods his head. "So, where can a guy get some coffee around here?" _My throat is parched._

Bobby grabs the last coffee from the tray and hands it to him. "I'm afraid it might be a bit cold."

Sam shrugs and takes the coffee. Dean moves out of the way, offering his chair to Sam. Sam waves his hand and leans against the wall and slides to the floor.

Dean's voice wasn't working. He wanted to ask how his brother was doing, what happened. He wanted to comfort him, hold him, but his wall blocked his movements and so he stayed still.

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**A/N2:** I totally made myself cry thinking of all of that, but I really hope you guys enjoyed it. I am also sorry if it was a little too emotional for Dean, but I mean come on Sam was dying. Wouldn't you expect him to be a little teary? I would love some more reviews. The next chapter will actually be the last, a sort of small closing... with a sad twist. Thanks guys for reading and please review. 


	18. Master of Puppets

**A/N:** So, here is the last chapter. I admit it isn't really all that emotional, but I still hope you will read it and of course review it at the end.

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**Puppet  
Chapter 18: Master of Puppets**

Bobby glances down at his book and back at Sam before finally speaking to him. "How are you feeling, Sam?"

Sam doesn't say anything, like he is ashamed of something that he had done. He could only shrug his shoulders as he thought about what had happened. _I remember all of it, all the pain, all the hurt. It lasted so long, and I couldn't make it go away. Dean couldn't make it go away._

Bobby sighs and looks back to the book he was reading before grabbing another and flipping to the middle and reading.

Sam's eyes wonder to Dean who had taken a seat in the chair once more. _He must feel awful. I can't even imagine what he is feeling right now. I know he must be blaming himself somewhere inside of him. He's struggling with what happened. But there really wasn't anything he could do. Actually if he hadn't of been there with me I wouldn't have made it. I finally got through the pain and I was in a safe warm place. Some place I couldn't be hurt. I wanted to stay there. But I heard Dean's voice. He was telling me to come back. He was urging me to make it. I didn't want to leave him. I forced my way back to him. Through all the pain I had just gone through, I had to get back to him._

Sam's eyes remain locked on Dean._ It really is all my fault. If I hadn't of gotten controlled in the first place none of this would have happened. But mostly I wanted to die. I wanted the pain to go away. I wanted nothing to do with the world. I was selfish, but I am still glad that I got back here, and am glad for Dean being there. Though, I won't ever tell him._

Dean's eyes remain locked to his lap. He couldn't look at Sam. He did feel it was his fault for his brother's pain. But he was thinking of the pain of living._ I wish I didn't have to tell Sam about everything when he was so young. I knew I would have to eventually but I wish for once that I could have kept it from him. Let him grow up normal, let him be happy. But I said it once, Sam and I aren't normal and there really isn't anything I can do about it._

None of the boys wanted to break the awkward silence in the room, but Dean finally forced himself to. "We are going to take off soon."_ I hate leaving this soon. I don't really want to, but I just want to get out of here, get things back to normal._

Sam's eyes lower away from Dean. Bobby gave Dean the look asking if it was ok that Sam traveled so soon. Dean returned the look reassuring him that he would take care of him.

Sam then stands. "Dean's right. We should go." _There isn't any point in staying any longer._

Caleb rises from his wooden chair and places his coffee on it. "Are you sure? Maybe you shouldn't..."

Sam cuts him short. "I'm fine." _That is one of the reasons I want to leave. I am so sick of people asking if I'm all right._

Caleb laughs on the inside. _He reminds me alot of Dean, but mostly alot of John. Incredible._

Dean nods his head and drops his empty cup into the trash in the corner of the room. Sam leads the way out of the room, Dean following closely behind him.

Bobby's eyes go wide. He was staring at a book in his hands, almost like it had told him the coolest secret. "Boys."

Caleb turns around and Sam and Dean make their way back into the room. Dean sees the old man's surprise. "Bobby, what is it?"

Bobby's eyes stay locked to the book, his eyes scanning a paragraph over and over. He doesn't even look up. "I found something on that symbol."

Dean takes a giant step forward. "What?"

Bobby finally pries his eyes away from the book and onto Dean. "Yea. I never thought to look in this book. It has almost nothing to with the Supernatural at all or so I thought."

Sam joins his brother's side. "Bobby, what is it?"

Bobby sighs. "It doesn't actually have a name. It's said to be so powerful that most demons don't have the power to apply it, not even a small one. The one on Sam was exceptionally large. Like I said before it is a spiritual explosive devise. It was once used to kill powerful demons. Obviously demon's stopped trying to kill their own breed and now use them on humans."

Caleb also joins the boys, all of them looking at Bobby. "Bobby get to the point."

Bobby chuckles and gives a sad smile. "I don't really have a point, but in here is a rough recipe to the antidote."

Gasps were heard from all three of the boys. Dean and Sam both looks at each other in anguish, thinking of all the people that died because they couldn't stop the explosion.

Bobby continues. "As a footnote here, it says that the symbol was usually marked to a rogue demon to stop it from telling secrets of other demons. The rogue demons were usually the more powerful ones and between hunters and that symbol eventually all the demons who could apply that symbol died. Or so I thought. I didn't realize that that puppet master demon actually had that kind of power."

Dean shakes his head. "There was an antidote here all along and you didn't know?"

Bobby stands up, almost challenging Dean to yell at him some more. "I haven't read half the books in my house. I usually skim over all the ones I get and keep the ones I use most on shelves."

Dean takes a step forward, ready to yell at the hunter some more when Sam grabs his brother's arm and pulls him back. He didn't have enough strength to actually stop his brother, but the touch alone was enough to stop Dean. Sam looks from Dean to Bobby. "There's nothing we can do now."

Dean sighs and nods his head at Bobby, apologizing.

Bobby shakes his head, saying sorry. Bobby places the book gently onto his desk where he would be able to look at it again later. Once again the men file out of the room, Caleb in the lead this time.

It didn't take long before everything was ready and the boys were ready to leave. Dean reaches the car first and turns to Bobby. "Bobby thanks for everything." _As always..._

Bobby took those simple words to mean alot more coming from Dean. He whispers to Dean. "And thanks for all you did for me."

Dean nods and smiles in understanding.

He shakes the man's hand and moves to Caleb. "Good to see you again, Caleb."

"You too Dean. Take care of Sam?"

Dean nods. _I won't let him out of my sight for a while._

Sam goes to Bobby. "Thanks. I don't even know all of what you did for me, but I know that if you hadn't of I wouldn't be here."

Bobby smiles. "Anytime."

Sam smiles. "I'll take you up on that."

Bobby nods. "Not anytime soon though, ok?"

Sam shakes his head. "Sounds good." He too then goes to Caleb. "It's been a long time."

Caleb nods. "Stay out of trouble."

Sam nods his head in Dean's direction. "With him?" _He's a trouble magnet._

Caleb chuckles. He gives Sam a sturdy hug before backing up. "True."

Dean shakes his head. "I heard that."

Sam turns to Dean and laughs. Dean shakes his head again and gets into the car. Sam takes his place in the passenger side of the car and Dean starts it up. With his window rolled down, Dean pulls away from the house. Both boys nod their heads and leave from the view of Bobby and Caleb.

They reach the highway. It was only a couple minutes later before Dean quickly glances at Sam's hand mark on his neck then back to Sam and addresses him. "Don't do that to me again."

Sam looks at his brother. "Do what?"

"Scare me like that." _Seriously, a heart attack is inevitable if that happens again._

Sam smiles. "Ok, next time I'm dying I promise to make it less traumatic."

Dean's eyes go wide. "That's not funny."

Sam chuckles. "Oh, come on it's a little funny."

Dean shakes his head. "Not funny." _Just a little funny, but if it happens again I am going to kill you, myself._

Sam's gaze goes to the road before going back to Dean. "Fine, but you're still a jerk."

Dean shakes his head. "And don't forget it... bitch." Then his hand goes to the radio turning up the volume to the song 'Master of Puppets' by Metallica.

Sam shakes his head, slowly putting Beryl behind him and it all becoming a bad memory. The song's lyrics quickly fill the car.

_End of passion play, crumbling away  
I'm your source of self-destruction  
Veins that pump with fear, sucking darkest clear  
Leading on your deaths construction  
Taste me you will see  
more is all you need  
you're dedicated to  
how I'm killing you_

_Come crawling faster  
obey your Master  
your life burns faster  
obey your Master  
Master  
Master of Puppets I'm pulling your strings  
twisting your mind and smashing your dreams  
Blinded by me, you can't see a thing  
Just call my name, cause I'll hear you scream  
Master  
Master  
Just call my name, cause I'll hear you scream  
Master  
Master_

_Needlework the way, never you betray  
life of death becoming clearer  
Pain monopoly, ritual misery  
chop your breakfast on a mirror  
Taste me you will see  
more is all you need  
you're dedicated to  
how I'm killing you_

_Come crawling faster  
obey your Master  
your life burns faster  
obey your Master  
Master  
Master of Puppets I'm pulling your strings  
twisting your mind and smashing your dreams  
Blinded by me, you can't see a thing  
Just call my name, cause I'll hear you scream  
Master  
Master  
Just call my name, cause I'll hear you scream  
Master  
Master_

_Master, Master, Where's the dreams that I've been after?  
Master, Master, You promised only lies  
Laughter, Laughter, All I hear and see is laughter  
Laughter, Laughter, laughing at my cries  
Hell is worth all that, natural habitat  
just a rhyme without a reason  
Never-ending maze, drift on numbered days  
now your life is out of season_

_Come crawling faster  
obey your Master  
your life burns faster  
obey your Master  
Master  
Master of Puppets I'm pulling your strings  
twisting your mind and smashing your dreams  
Blinded by me, you can't see a thing  
Just call my name, cause I'll hear you scream  
Master  
Master  
Just call my name, cause I'll hear you scream  
Master  
Master_

**The End**

* * *

**A/N2: **I was looking through lyrics of Metallica songs and I found this one called Master of Puppets. Some of the lyrics were exactly like how I wrote my story, and I have never heard this song before. I thought it was cool.  
**A/N3:** Well that's the end. I expected a few more chapters, but I am glad it didn't drag on too long. Now, I personally feel like that it was rushed at the end but I really hope you enjoyed it. Thanks for reading and please review, they're golden. 

And now I would like to thank all of you who have read my story, or just some of the chapters. I am so grateful for all the reviews I got. They were a great inspiration and I really do hope you enjoyed my story. So I would like to thank:  
**Run4Nova,  
Julsus,  
Sitonkia,  
Sienna,  
Pmsdevil01,  
Heather03nmg,  
Lycaness,  
Vin,  
Callisto211,  
Rhoswen19,  
Ghostwriter,  
Friendly,  
Spongelly,  
Manavie,  
Stardael,  
Cococharpai,  
Waloy.  
**Sorry if I missed anyone who did review on my story. I am grateful to all those who read it. And thanks of course to all whom will read this last and final chapter. It has been a pleasure writing it and I really hope you will support me on any other stories I do in the future.


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